To many in Chicago's LGBT sports community, she's simply "C.C." Nothing more, nothing less.
"I bet there are some people who don't even know my name is Carolyn," said Carolyn Clark, 35, the real-life C.C., who lives in Chicago's Ravenswood neighborhood.
But many certainly know of Clark's contributions to the local LGBT sports scene—and why she was voted the 2009 Female LGBT Sports Athlete of the Year.
"Every year seems to be memorable for some reason or another," Clark said. "I am really lucky that I am able to enjoy myself season after season, year after year. It is really great to be involved with great teammates and competitors all doing something that we really love and being able to do so in an accepting environment."
Clark played in 2009 for the Ladykillaz in the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association ( CMSA ) flag football league ( spring and fall ) . She also played CMSA beach volleyball and softball, and has participated in basketball, dodgeball, billiards and badminton.
"I wish more women in [ CMSA ] were as easy to work with as Carolyn," said CMSA President Marcia Hill. "She takes her responsibility as team coach/manger seriously and works with CMSA in making sure her teammates have registered for their sport; she turns in rosters on time, and, most importantly, even though she is not the superstar athlete of her team, she always plays the game fairly, honestly, within the rules and if she does have a question about a rule or a judgment call, she approached the officials in a professional way and maintains control of her team."
Clark works in customer service for Cushing, which has sponsored multiple CMSA teams.
In 2009, her flag-football team finished first in the playoffs in 2009 ( upper recreation division ) , which had never happened.
"I am the backup quarterback on our fall flag-football team and had the opportunity to start and play a whole game at QB this season," she said. "Even better than that, we won on a last-second Hail Mary pass [ into ] the end zone that two of our players caught together. I was so focused on the time and calling a timeout that I didn't realize the pass was caught in the end zone for the winning score. It was great."
Not surprisingly, Clark said her 2010 goals from an LGBT sporting front include helping the Ladykillaz defend their first-place playoff win in flag football.
"But all I really want to do is play and have fun," she said. "I really think that we are very lucky in the Chicago area to have so many LGBT resources and supporting organizations, such as CMSA, that allow us to participate in a variety of sports at many different skill levels."
Here's more about Carolyn Clark, aka, C.C.:
—Status: In a relationship with Jessie Gorogianis
—High school: Addison Trail in Addison, Class of 1992
—College: Attended Benedictine University in Lisle for two years
—Favorite sport to play: Flag football
—Favorite sport to watch: College football
—Favorite pro team: Chicago Bears
—Favorite pro athlete: Jimmie Johnson
—Little-known fact: "I have Osgood-Schlatter disease, [ which ] sounds scary, but really isn't. I have been active in sports since I was a kid and, due to that activity while I was still growing, I ended up with an extra growth of bone on my left knee. It doesn't hurt or affect my play. I could have had surgery on it before high school, but since it didn't bother me, and would have cost me playing time, we left it alone."
—Hobbies: Bike-riding, rollerblading along the lakefront path, reading, playing board games, and playing Guitar Hero.
—Superstitions: "I am not a very superstitious person, but I do have 'playoff boxers.' I do wash them, though."
—The 2010 Gay Games: "While I am not able to personally participate in the 2010 Games, I am a supporter and wish all our U.S. competitors the best of luck. The 2006 Gay Games in Chicago were an experience I will never forget, as I competed in both flag football with the Ladykillaz and basketball with the Chaussies."
