Around 50 New Zealand athletes and performers will represent our community at Gay Games Cologne, which open on 31 July. The Kiwi team will be led by a strong contingent of swimmers, but it also includes track and field athletes, hockey, tennis and billiards players, figure skaters, cyclists, bodybuilders and even singers. Here is the first in our series of profiles on our athletes, who are heading to Cologne to wave the Kiwi rainbow flag. Kevin Hudson sporting his Team Auckland shirt Athlete: Kevin Hudson, Swimmer Events: 50m backstroke, 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke, 400m freestyle Kevin Hudson is travelling to Cologne with his partner, another swimmer, who is competing in the 50m backstroke and 50m fly. The couple only decided to sign up for the Gay Games last November. "Because I figured, I didn't want to be 60 and doing my first Gay Games. So I'm 55 and doing my first Gay Games," Hudson says. "I enjoy swimming. I do a lot of sea swimming in summer so I'm used to a bit more distance, that's why I'm not doing the short freestyle." In preparation Hudson, who works at the Auckland Hotel and Chefs Training School in Newmarket, is swimming three times a week and also hitting the gym three times a week. "I still manage to get two days off, so I jam it into five days." While it will be Hudson's first Gay Games, but he went to the World Outgames in Montreal in 2006. He is expecting the Cologne experience to be similar to Montreal. "It's just amazing not being in a minority for a change, I think that's going to be really great. If I can draw from the Montreal experience – it just blew me away. It just blew me away the whole time." Hudson is clear about his goals for Cologne. "I'm going just for me. For participation. And really yeah, if I win something or get a medal it will be the icing on the cake." Hudson and his partner have tickets to the men only Black Party and are open-minded about what other social events they will attend. He says they only have one day when they are not in the pool, which they will spend sightseeing. The pair are making a holiday out of the trip, with six days in London before the games and six days in Rome afterwards. Jacqui Stanford - 4th July 2010