My introduction to wrestling was interesting. My parents had me when they were around 17-18 years old and my father wrestled in high school, so I was around wrestling since I was a baby.

I always say, "I knew how to wrestle before I knew how to walk."

After I was born, my father quit wrestling and dropped out of high school to get a job to help support my mom and I. When I was four years old, I got my first pair of wrestling shoes, and was out on the mat running around.

It's been 18 years and one of the best parts of my wrestling journey has been the space to meet my closest friends, and the opportunities that came along.

Wrestling has given me platform to advocate for queer athletes in toxic masculine environments and spaces. I love how it has helped shape and mold who I am today. I wouldn't be here at the University of Virginia if I hadn't wrestled.

That being said, wrestling is definitely one of the most toxic masculine sports there is out there. I do think there's toxic masculinity in every sport that we have. But, in any community that you go to, you'll find your own group of people who will support you and who are unique.

In wrestling, I have found a community and people who have always been there to support me and never saw me as any different for being gay, and have treated me the same as anybody else.

They’re the people I've held near and dear to my heart, especially through my journey of wrestling. They’ve helped push me to be a better wrestler, and pushed me to continue wrestling.

Granted, there have been people who have been out there with their opinions about, queer athletes. That hurts, but at the same time, there will always be people who won't agree with you fully.

You just gotta push through it, and continue to do what you love and don't let them stop you.

[As told to @Ragi Gupta — continued: https://www.pixstory.com/story/degendersports-alex-cruz-in-wrestling-spaces-i-felt-the-need-to-leave-my-identities-behind1679890214/202970]