DAVID BYRNE
Age: 31
Hometown: Chicago
Originally from: East Coast
Favorite sport: Baseball
Favorite athlete: Jason Varitek, catcher for the Boston Red Sox
College: University of Scranton ( Pa. )
Running: Enjoys 5K races for various charities
It's a Fact: Vgetarian for the past 13 years
It's Also a Fact: Is a closeted pro wrestling fan, especially for the female wrestlers of the 1980s, including those who participated in GLOW ( Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling )
All-time favorite wrestlers: The Road Warriors ( Hawk and Animal )
Current favorite wrestler: Batista. 'He's got the look, the tattoos and the dedication to fitness.'
MARK BYRNE
Age: 31
Hometown: Chicago
Originally from: East Coast
College: Creighton
Favorite sport: Volleyball
Favorite volleyball player: Karch Kiraly, a three-time Olympic gold medalist
Favorite sports team: Chicago Cubs
Favorite athlete: Todd Walker
All-time favorite pro wrestlers: Big John Studd and Bam Bam Bigelow. 'I love watching the big fat guys do cartwheels.'
Enjoys: Pilates
It's a Fact: Has done stand-up comedy
It's Also a Fact: Does most of the cooking at home
At least they play different sports.
The Byrne Brothers, David and Mark, are gay fraternal twins who live together in Lakeview. David, a tax preparer for Ernst & Young, plays softball. Mark, a vendor sales consultant, plays rugby for the Chicago Dragons.
Both will be in Gay Games VII this summer in Chicago.
'I'm really looking forward to the Games,' said Mark, whose rugby club will be playing other gay teams and some straight teams, too, over the spring in preparation for the Games.
'I get stage-fright quite easily, be it [ for ] public speaking or playing softball, such that I'm often shaking and nauseous before games. So, when the Games kick off, I'm sure I'll be in a frenzy,' David said.
Mark is an inch taller than David at 6-foot-5 and 20 pounds heavier at 240.
'Some of our friends and family have expressed interest in attending, to cheer us on. That will be exciting,' David said.
But there's no guarantee anyone will be able to tell the two apart. Even family members have trouble, David said. A co-worker of David's went up to Mark at a party recently and wondered why he was ignoring her—because she didn't realize it was Mark, not David. 'That happens to us all the time,' David said. And when they try to explain who they are, many often think they are joking about having a fraternal twin brother.
Neither was a childhood athlete, although sports were in their family background. Their grandfather, Al, played minor-league baseball. And their older brother, Michael, has played numerous sports since childhood, including rugby for about 15 years.
David quit smoking in 1999, but that led to a weight gain. So he joined a gym and started running 5K races. A friend from work eventually told him that he needed extra players for a softball team—and David joined. He has been playing since 2002.
David has played for the Spin Orphans softball team, and in such gay tournaments as the annual Chi-Town Softball Classic and the Dairyland Classic. He plays first base, like his sporting heroes, Derrek Lee and Tino Martinez.
Mark has been a part of the Dragons for four seasons and when MTV Logo ran a documentary on the team, Mark had a speaking role about the team's elusive first win. Also, he was named the most improved player for the Dragons' 2004-2005 season.
When Mark made his first rugby try ( equivalent to a football touchdown ) , their then-72-year-old dad was watching.
'I want to go out in the Gay Games and kick some ass,' Mark said. 'When we were in junior high school, sure, we aspired to be athletes, but it never really took off. We studied judo, but weren't too good.'
'I'm sure there will be a lot of guys playing hard during the day, and then partying just as hard at night during the week of the Gay Games,' David said. 'At times, Mark really impresses me, especially when he uses his size and his strength to his advantage.'
The two previously played softball together on the same team, but now play indoor volleyball together.
'I'm sure there will be a sense of camaraderie and unity within the international gay athletic community during the Gay Games; that will be nice to see,' David said.
And for friends and family of the Byrne Brothers, it will just be nice, albeit a shock to many, to see them as international-level athletes, much like their late Grandpa Al. 'I'm sure he's getting a kick out of ( our sporting adventures ) ,' David said.