If I could travel back in time, I would tell my younger self to believe in herself and to just trust herself.

For a lot of my journey, I didn't advance when I think I could have, just because I was so worried about what people would think or what I was raised to think.

I was so multi-hyphenated. I was raised Mormon, in a predominantly white community. I was queer and I didn't have a sense of who I was supposed to be.

So I latched on to society, and I latched on to what I thought I was supposed to be.

I think that if I could have trusted myself and sought people who are like me, my journey could have been a lot easier. I don't regret anything and I'm very happy for the journey that I went on, despite all the trauma that I had to go through.

But it makes such a difference to have faith in yourself, and if I could talk to any queer kids out there, I would say, "No one knows you like you. Trust in yourself, find people like you and know that you're not alone, and that everything's gonna be okay."

It took a while for me to feel comfortable being my full self. I really latched on to my chosen family within the sports realm, so I that I could commit to myself.

With them, I knew I can present a certain way, act a certain way, play a certain way, and just not have to think about it.

I know some people are very science-data driven. I'm definitely more of an ethos-centered person.

I could read all these scientific studies and I’ve obviously learnt a lot from from, but I really learned the most and was inspired most by seeing other people's stories, hearing other people's stories and witnessing it myself.

That was really what was most powerful and inspiring for me. That's just who I am as a person.

[As told to @Ragi Gupta — continued: https://www.pixstory.com/story/degendersports-sports-is-my-safe-place-and-i-want-to-make-sure-its-accessible-to-other-athletes1679884686/202965]