A Singlet Man
By Jeff Kagan
Mike Faraci is no ordinary man. He’s something of a renaissance man with abilities and interests ranging from wrestling to sewing -- from kickboxing to cooking -- and from rock climbing to just plain rock ‘n rolling with his band, the aptly named “Mike Faraci Band” where he can be spotted every few months at the Indian Road Café in Inwood.
Besides music, the one interest Faraci is most passionate about wrestling. His grandfather was a boxer, so he feels that there’s something in his bloodline that ties into the similarities of the two sports. However, as a gay athlete, for Faraci, participating in an exceptionally physical sport isn’t as much about breaking stereotypes as it is embracing them (pun intended). Faraci says, “It’s more about redefining what the stereotypes are. Some people are gay first, and everything else later. I tell people that gay is only one of my talents.”
Growing up on Long Island, the most popular recreational activity was bowling. Faraci’s family wasn’t quite so sports-minded. “My father never watched football or baseball unless my grandfather was over -- or if the World Series was on. Otherwise, we weren’t watching sports in my house”, he says. And playing sports was another story. “I used to wrestle with my father when I was very little and I loved it. But when I was older, and all of the other kids were out playing, I had asthma and I wasn’t really encouraged to join in any ‘reindeer games’.” He would participate from time to time but never fully enjoyed the experience.
When Faraci was 18, his father learned through another family member that his son was gay. Being a strict Catholic who had strong views on homosexuality, his father had a difficult time dealing with this. The two did not speak for a week. Then his father sat him down to talk about it. Faraci’s father said, “There are people in this world who choose to be gay, and that’s a sin. But you… you were different from the time you were a little boy, and I don’t think you chose it.”
This was a sigh of relief for Faraci, that his father was to be able to make peace with this issue. Although he disagreed with his dad’s opinion that it is a choice for some, he was relieved his father recognized early on that his son was a little different. He says, “I got the sense that he loved me anyway, and after that it wasn’t going to be an issue. Ever since then we’ve had a great relationship.”
Faraci has been wrestling for about sixteen years. He started during his senior year at college. He was drawn to wrestling for its individualistic element. “What I always liked about it is that there’s no team. I was not a great athlete as a kid and the other kids would yell at me when I missed the shot or didn’t catch the ball. With wrestling, there’s no one yelling at me.” Without having to deal with the scrutiny of the other team members Faraci enjoyed wrestling and he excelled. A high point was when competed in the Amsterdam Gay Games in 1998. As wrestling always came naturally to him, the greater challenge was trying to lose the 6 1/4 lbs. necessary to compete in the class he wanted. Sticking with a low fat diet, he shed the unwanted weight and went for the gold. And he got it.
Faraci currently wrestles and coaches with the Metro Wrestling. More at www.metrowrestling.org.
Quickies
Jog’em: Front Runners New York attended the 2011 North American Outgames in Vancouver, BC in July, bringing home more than 80 medals in dozens of track and field events, as well as the Vancouver 10K Pride Run. The team was comprised of 23 Front Runners, spanning from open competition through the 70+ age group. Race organizers and competitors alike noted the sportsmanship and enthusiasm FRNY brought to the Outgames. More at www.frny.org.
Kick ‘em: Congratulations to the New York Ramblers on taking the gold medal in a 3-2 game against Boston Striker (Division Two) of the International Gay & Lesbian Football Association North American Cup in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Props go to Larry Buenafe, David Laski, David McKenzie, Eric Roberts, Charlie Welch and Jared Snavely on a well played tournament. More at www.newyorkramblers.org.
Rack ‘em: The New York Gay Pool League wrapped up its Summer 9-Ball Tournament Series, with the Amsterdam Poolboyz taking home the top prize of bragging rights and a $400 prize. Boxers came in 2nd, winning $200 and the Stonewall Riots and Stonewall Stars each winning $100 for 3rd & 4th Places. Their 8-ball season is starting soon. More at www.nygpl.org.
Puck’em: The NYC Gay Hockey Association’s freshman team The Boxers were slaughtered by the Wild Turkeys 8-1 on July 29th, which happened to fall on the organization’s 12th anniversary. The Boxers made up for their loss a day later by shutting out the Tsunami, 6-0. Congratulations on the NYCGHA on 12 years of gay hockey! More at www.nycgayhockey.org.
