Age: 41
Hometown: Honolulu
High School: Kailua ( Hawaii ) ; Class of 1983
Status: Partner Terry Mar for four years.
College: University of Hawaii and Oral Roberts; Class of 1988
Job: Flight attendant for 18 years for Hawaiian Airlines; a Honolulu firefighter for eight years
Hobbies: Hiking, swimming, traveling, motorcycles and 'a good book.'
Favorite Book: Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom.
Favorite sport: Baseball
Favorite team: Los Angeles Dodgers
Favorite athlete: Daniel Carter of the New Zealand All-Blacks rugby team
Favorite tennis player: Blake
It's a Fact: Has a private pilot's license.
Gay Games sport: Tennis ( singles and doubles, teaming Ryan Sales of Pearl City, Hawaii )
Favorite: Cafe Sistina in Honolulu
Dream vacation spot: Rio
Favorite place to fly to: Thailand
Least favorite place to fly to: 'Haven't found it yet; I love traveling.'
( Complete the sentence ) : People don't know that I: graduated from Oral Roberts University.
I'm better than my partner Terry Mar at: 'Picking up socks on the floor.'
On Terry Mar: 'In all my life, I've never met a more positive person than Terry.'
Most bizarre flight attendant story: 'Well, it involves Courtney Love, and we'll leave it at that.'
Are you a member of the Mile-High Club? 'No. But would I like to be? Yes.'
How often on your flights do you discover new 'Mile-High Club' members: 'Just occasionally, from time to time, not too often.'
About eight years ago, Dean Calistro went on a week-long cruise with about 1,100 other gay men and women in the Mexican Riviera through RSVP Cruises.
'It was a lot of fun and I came away from the cruise empowered to be who I am,' said Calistro, now 41. 'I'm expecting the Gay Games will be at least eight times more powerful.'
Calistro, a Honolulu resident who works full-time as a flight attendant and a fireman, will make his Games debut this summer in Chicago. He will play in the C Division of tennis.
His partner of four years, Terry Mar, will compete in the A Division of tennis.
'I'm not nearly as competitive as Terry is; I'm just competing for the fun of it. I don't take the sport nearly as serious as he does. For me, it's basically an excuse to be social a couple of times per week,' Calistro said. 'I'm totally looking forward to the Games. I really think the Games will be a good time. I want to experience the camaraderie and just be a part of such a huge gay event.'
And, perhaps, win an on-court medal.
'I want to have a decent showing on the court; I don't want to embarrass myself,' he said. 'On top of that, I'm really looking forward to meeting people from all over the world and hopefully creating friendships that will last a long time.'
Calistro and Mar will be Gay Games-bound with several other Hawaiians and former Hawaiians, too. 'It will be nice to meet with friends in another city,' Calistro said.
Calistro and Mar have attended a gay summertime tennis tournament together since they started dating. The first two years, it was in San Diego; then it was Seattle the last two. The Games will be, 'taking our ritual to a whole 'nother level,' Calistro said.
So who's better, Calistro or Mar? Mar, said Calistro. 'He's much better.'
Calistro almost went to the Games in Sydney back in 2002, but backed out at the last moment, 'so I've really been looking forward to Chicago for several years.'
Calistro said he's most excited for the opening and closing ceremonies, and he also plans to attend other events, such as gymnastics. And maybe a Chicago Cubs game, too.
'The Games will be a nice vacation,' Calistro said. 'I've been to Chicago before, but only once, and only for two days. I'm looking forward to exploring the city; I hear it's a wonderful city, especially in the summer.'
