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Roger Barraby, right, of Cornish, N.H., and competitor Irvin Ramírez Salgado, of Mexico, congratulate each other after one of the races at the Gay Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, in November 2023. (Courtesy Roger Barraby) -
Roger Barraby, of Cornish, N.H., practices block starts on the track at Windsor High School in Windsor, Vt., on Monday, June 12, 2023. Barraby knew he wasn’t done with running after his final college season ended. “I felt like I had more to give,” he said. (Valley News / Report For America – Alex Driehaus) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com.
When Roger Barraby was preparing for the Gay Games last spring, his goals were twofold: Raise money for and awareness of the LGBT National Help Center, and to continue to compete at a high level in track and field.
The Cornish resident did both of those things when he represented New England at the Gay Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, in November. He won a gold medal in the 800 meters with a time of 2:11.68 and a silver medal in the 400 meters with a time of 55.23. In the 4×200 meter relay, he won a silver medal with a time of 1:41.29 and — competing with childhood friend Gailin Pease — won a gold medal in the 4×400 meter mixed relay.
He also won a gold medal representing Team Mexico in the 4×100 meter relay with a time of 48.20. Barraby was tapped for that team after one of Mexico’s athletes was injured. He speaks fluent Spanish.
From community members and fundraising events, Barraby raised around $10,000 to attend the games. That included a donation of more than $2,000 for the LGBT National Help Center.
“It’s been so long since I’ve had days of competing in a row,” Barraby, now 28, said. The Gay Games were held Nov. 5 to 9. “It’s so much different to pace yourself in terms of making sure you recover and come back fresh every day.”
Barraby was one of around 3,000 athletes who took part in the games, including around 400 competing in track and field.
“There so much camaraderie at high levels of track and field,” said Barraby, a 2015 Windsor High School graduate who competed on the track team. He also competed in college at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. He particularly enjoyed meeting athletes in their 60s and 70s who were still competing.
“If you are pretty dedicated to whatever sport you’re in you can always find ways to compete,” Barraby said. “That was eye-opening for me.”
Barraby said his experience taught him that he compete successfully at a high level.
“I’m excited to see where my career takes me from now on,” Barraby said. “It’s not over and I’m excited for more.”
