Tom Chiola and his partner of 15 years, Andrew Jemilo, have one simple goal for the 2010 Gay Games in Cologne, Germany: To finish with a smile on our faces, said Chiola, president of the Alliance of Illinois Judges ( www.TheAIJ.com ) and the first openly gay candidate elected to office in Illinois ( Circuit Court Judge, 1994 ) .
The residents of Andersonville ( or Mandersonville, as Jemilo calls it ) will be competing in the 5K and 10K road races.
"The Gay Games are a wonderful experience, a supportive environment where the most important thing is to do the best you can do. The feeling of community is so overwhelming and heartening [ at the Games ] . Meeting people from around the world is incredible," said Chiola, 57.
Both have Gay Games experience and medals of honor. Chiola ran the marathon and competed in bowling in Vancouver in 1990. He competed in the triathlon and in swimming events in New York City in 1994. And in Chicago in 2006, Chiola again competed in the triathlon. His bowling team won the silver medal in 1990. Jemilo competed in the triathlon in Chicago in 2006 and he jokes that he won, "The Mother Teresa Gold Medal for Cheering Others On."
"I have always made great friends through sports groups like Chicago's gay volleyball league and the Chicago Razors triathlon group," said Jemilo, 43. "I look forward to expanding that [ while in Cologne ] to people from around the world. "
More about Tom Chiola and Andrew Jemilo:
Job title:
Tom: Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County
Andrew: Software Methodology Consultant for his own company, FastFrontier.com
High school:
Tom: Griffin ( Springfield, Ill. ) , Class of 1970
Andrew: St Laurence ( Burbank, Ill. ) , Class of 1984
College:
Tom: Illinois State University ( 1974 ) ; University of Illinois Law School ( 1977 ) .
Andrew: University of Illinois School of Engineering ( 1988 )
Reflections on the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago:
Tom: "I had the worst triathlon of my life, but it was incredible to see all of the participants from around the world enjoying our beautiful city."
Andrew: "There were two special parts for me. One was becoming part of the Chicago Razors, the triathlon training group formed by Bill Toepper. The other was the opportunity to photograph several events through the support of Tracy Baim."
Hobbies:
Tom: Running, biking, swimming, weightlifting, theatre and hiking
Andrew: Teaching Spin classes, photography, running, hiking, traveling off the beaten path, and discovering new music
Superstitions:
Tom: Stepping on the lines on the ball field
Andrew: None
Little-known fact:
Tom: "I was a summer musical theatre 'star' at the Springfield Muni Opera during high school and college."
Andrew: "I was a child-prodigy puppeteer at the age of 8 and a claymation artist at the age of 12. However, I became a normal human once I hit puberty."
Greatest sporting accomplishment:
Tom: Finishing my first marathon and triathlon
Andrew: Receiving a few medals in the annual Proud to Run races over the years. The 40-somethings are the most competitive.
Favorite sports teams:
Tom: Chicago Cubs and the University of Illinois basketball
Andrew: Fleetwood Mac … oh, wait, does that count?
It's a fact:
Tom: He is a member of the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame; a former race director for Proud to Run; a former board member of CMSA and softball commissioner; an organizer of first pro bono legal project for people with AIDS in Chicago; a volunteer for Open Hand Chicago ( now Vital Bridges ) ; an organizer of International Gay Bowling Organization Tournament in Chicago; and a lobbyist for gay rights in state legislature.
Andrew: He was one of the founders of the Big Gay Cocktail Club, a group which has been raising money for GLBT organizations over the past decade. He also loves to travel, most recently backpacking solo through Guatemala and Nicaragua. "I was fortunate to have Tom's total support," Jemilo said. "Unfortunately, he is heavily attached to showering once a day." Jemilo has also "stepped out of corporate America this past year to start my own consulting company, FastFrontier.com ."