By David SmithFor the Gay Games in Cleveland I registered for 2 sports. Swimming which is the sport I competed in Germany and the triathlon as well. Instead of renting a bike in Cleveland I chose instead to pack up my own bike and bring it with me. Walking through the airport I must’ve been the biggest princess given that I had 4 large pieces of luggage with me! I arrived the day before the opening ceremonies, to give myself enough time to unpack, assemble my bike and ensure I have a lot of rest and recovery time prior to the first day of competition. Best part about flying into Cleveland was all the “Welcome GG9 (Gay Games 9) athletes to Cleveland!” at the airport and around town! Walking around the city itself, especially the first time is always an awesome experience. Cleveland really did #GoAllOut for this event, every shop had a rainbow flag, the busses had "Welcome GG9 Athletes" on their displays, one of the skyscrapers were lit up in rainbows! I could really tell that the city of Cleveland really wanted us there and even just stepping on the train at the airport, I felt like I belonged and was apart of something great.
The athlete’s check in and accreditation is absolutely one of my favorite parts of the games. Seeing people come in of all types to get ready for their events. The excitement and energy fills the place. When you check in you have to do a general check in to get your badge, info, participation medal and swag bag and then you proceed to check in for your sport. There is a whole room full of tables and signs for the sports and you walk in seeing all sorts of people filling the tables and it really does put it in perspective that not one sport is any less or greater than any other sport. We’re all their to compete and do our best in our own, unique way. All checked in and ready to go, walking through the city and taking in the view I had for the next week, it really hit me that I was finally here! Joining a few friends and Gay Games virgins and it seemed like we couldn’t take enough photos and we didn’t even leave the convention center yet. I told my friends just wait, the opening ceremonies were that evening and it was about to get even more amazing.
Team Colorado teammates! After lunch and some final adjustments to my bike, I grabbed my badge, my new Gay Games hat I purchase and a bag of Team Colorado pins and headed out toward the prestage party/ event in preparation for the parade of athletes. The fact that they opened up the big baseball stadium for us for the event in preparation for the opening ceremonies at the Q (Quicken Loans Arena) was awesome! The scoreboards were lit up welcoming all the GG9 athletes and everybody was just hanging out eagerly in anticipation to march into the Q.
They had us march into groups, separated by colors, each color of the rainbow flag. There were large announcements through the chaos of the prestage party to let us know which group was staging to march in, we all had colors on our badges to help us remember our group. Throughout this time I took part in my favorite opening ceremonies and Gay Games tradition which is pin trading. Taking my Team Colorado pins and using them to trade and meet new people from other states and countries, slowly filling my hat with all the team pins that I traded. I got pins from Portugal, Hawaii, Russia, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and all over the United States. Finally we were staging and so with all the rest of the delegation from Colorado we started slowly moving down a long, winding corridor as we approached the entrance into the Q, getting ready to march in.
Waaaait for it... Standing just outside the entrance to the arena, we watched all the delegations in front of us march in, we could hear the music, the loud cheering and even feel the vibration of the event. I absolutely love this moment because although you are standing there waiting, the anticipation and excitement of marching in is building! Marching into the opening ceremony goes by so fast so I really wanted to enjoy every moment, especially as we inched closer and closer. Suddenly we found ourselves stopped right at the door, feeling the cool breeze from the AC hit us and getting our first peak of the arena. We were backstage and they had us split two ways to go around the main stage to meet together on the arena floor. There were cast members and performers in costume, holding onto their props for later on in the show. I could only imagine and guess what had awaited us a little later on.
Traditional Opening Ceremony Selfie! There was rainbows everywhere, from the props to the lights and the music was so loud and seemingly chaotic but yet everything was organized. Suddenly we were moving again, quickly ushered around a quick corner and then stopped, like a holding pattern on an airplane before take off. A groovy beat was playing and then we hear it. “Team Colorado!” over the PA system and a large applause erupts from the floor and we’re moving. Right into the arena floor and looking up it was simply overwhelming! The people, the lights and music, it was at that moment that I truly realized I was meant to be here. Marching through you can’t help but smile, almost jump up and down, waving to the crowd. The path is line with cheerleaders and there are cameras everywhere, we were on the jumbotron. Suddenly our differences in sport, gender, race, sexual orientation or anything else didn’t matter. This was our moment for each other and ourselves. We’re getting high fives from everybody and really taking in the experience and then we are off again, directed into the stands and ushered to our seating area. Even for it being the briefest of moments, it was one that will always remember, it was our moment to shine on the world stage and it was my moment of realization that I made it, I am hear and all my hard work and dedication has already paid off, even for that short time.
Team Colorado marching in!
Parade of Nations! (Notice the Guitar)
Once we found our seats and settled in, it was amazing to watch the other delegations march in. Whenever you watch the opening ceremony for the Olympics on TV, the Parade of Athletes is almost like an extended commercial break, most people will use that time to go pee, grab food, socialize and pay attention to just about anything else.
Being their though and watching it live however is a completely different experience. From my seat I couldn’t help but become transfixed, smile and loudly cheer as each delegation came in. Especially for the smaller delegations from various states such as South Dakota, Oklahoma and of course the bigger delegations of New York, California and such. We were the last full country to march in as the other countries had entered the stadium prior to us. At the Gay Games, traditionally the delegation from San Francisco marches into the stadium first and the host delegation marches into the stadium last. The entire team from Ohio capped off the parade of athletes and just how much the stadium erupted as we all stood up and cheered everybody on was truly amazing. The whole arena was sold out to, almost every seat was filled and all the people who came out just for the opening ceremony really made it great.
Following the parade of athletes the show moved right into a musical number celebrating Ohio’s racing history, featuring a hot mechanic, drag queens and a lot of awesome dancing and a rendition of Tina Turner’s Proud Mary and I knew this show was going to be good! They long advertised that the show would have a star-studded line up and it certainly did not disappoint. From Greg Louganis, Lance Bass and the Scissor Sisters. However the biggest surprise came when the jumbotron lit up with a greeting from President Obama. He recorded a special video and welcomed all the athletes to Gay Games 9 and expressed his support and reminded us that what we are doing is important, that our training, hard work and overall reasons for being there as well as the Games itself were important for helping to bring full equality for all LGBT individuals. He spoke about how the games were a safe place where people from more homophobic countries could come, participate and openly be themselves; even for only a week and that those moments can really be special for every person. Above all else, that was one of the greatest moments I’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing.
In the final moments of the opening ceremony, they bring in the rainbow flag and celebrate it's journey from San Francisco (where the games started) to the host city and present it just before bringing in the Gay Games flame and igniting the cauldron. As it came around they talked about the people whom were carrying it and the impact they've had on the LGBT sports and worldwide community. An an amazing moment came when they passed the flag into the audience to carry around the arena, as if at this moment, we were all apart of the history and impact that the Gay Games have.
As the flame came in, like the Rainbow Relay they had several prominent people associated with the Gay Games carry the flame, from Gay Games president Joanie Evans to people who really worked hard to make the event possible. Watching the flame travel around the stadium was truly tear jerking for me as it symbolizes that all that i've worked hard for, all that we all have worked hard for is truly here. This is our moment and it's about to begin. I was so transfixed on watching the flame as Olympian Blake Skjellerup presented the torch to the audience, I didn't even notice Senator Sherrod Brown, who was in attendance and gave a very heartfelt speech earlier in the ceremony, stepped up to the podium and declared the games open. Suddenly 4 large flames burst open as the Q lit up and the Gay Games 9 Cauldron was finally lit! At that moment I could've gone home and felt accomplished enough for being there, of course that was just the beginning
I officially declare Gay Games 9 as open
