by John Hobbs
Photography by John Skalicky
www.skalickyphoto.com

Name: David Rae
Age: 30
Job: Financial Planner
Location: West Hollywood
Miles cycled per week: At least 80
Single or taken: Taken
Three words to describe yourself:
Driven, outgoing and focused

We first featured blond-haired, blue-eyed hottie David Rae in IN Los Angeles back in 2000. And while Rae’s hairstyle may not have changed much in the eight years, he certainly has. “I was just out of college and was waiting tables at Mark’s in Laguna. At that time—and even until recently—I didn’t think my actions or money could truly make a big difference,” shares Rae. Now the vice president of a financial planning firm, Rae’s found he’s in a much better position to give back to the LGBT community. First up—the AIDS LifeCycle ride. Rae’s well on his way to reaching his $10,000 goal (and might just accomplish his goal with your donation—go to www.aids
lifecycle.org/5329 to help support him). Before heading off to San Francisco to make the 545-mile trek southbound to L.A., we sat down and chatted with this issue’s cover model.

Is this your first year training for AIDS LifeCycle? What made you want to get involved with the event?

This is my first year training. I’d been looking for more ways to get involved in the community. While having lunch with a friend in Denver he told me about the ride and I knew I had to do it. I signed up before I even bought a bike, and, as my roommate put it, I’m obsessed with riding. This event is addictive and is turning out to be one of the most amazing experiences.

Other than barrel-sized thighs, what would you say is the greatest gain from having trained for this event?

I’ve met so many amazing people while training, or had the opportunity to really get to know people I knew more from being out and about. Oh, yeah, and I get to be on the cover of IN Los Angeles!

What’s going to keep you motivated come mile 249 in the 545-mile trek?

With 2,500 people doing the ride, there always seems to be someone there to cheer you on and make sure you keep pedaling. Or sometimes we sing.

This is actually your second time on our Starring page. What do you remember most from the last time you appeared on our pages? Did you get approached a lot afterward?

I did get approached quite a bit back then. I still have the pics from last shoot: its fun to compare; I think I still have the same hairdo. [Laughs]

How important would you say giving back to the community is to you? Do you find it means more as you get older?

Giving back to the community is huge for me, and I’m really dedicated to getting more people involved. I think as I’ve gotten older I’m in a better postition to make a larger impact with my actions than when I was younger. After the AIDS LifeCycle, I’m on the board for Labor Day L.A., a great weekend of events in September.

What do you hope to get out of doing the AIDS LifeCycle?

I want to prove that I can sleep in a tent, turn off my cellphone and use porto-potties for a week without going crazy. With that in mind, riding 545 miles should be the easy part. I also want to meet more of the amazing people who are participating in this special event. Just through training and fundraising, this has been one of the most gratifying experiences of my life, and I haven't even done the ride yet.

We’re always on the lookout for Starring guys. If you’d like to grace the pages of IN Los Angeles, please submit photos and a brief e-mail introducing yourself to editor@inlamag.com.