, everyone was accepting. Still, when I thought about giving wrestling a shot, I believed that a sport often associated with macho men may not accept someone like me.
And when I expressed my interest in wrestling to people, there were some mixed perceptions from ex-work colleagues, or people I socialised with. ‘Are you sure you don’t just want to admire the men in their lycra?’ friends would wink.
They were just joking but I found it frustrating that I’d have to explain time and again that I liked the sport itself, not the men participating in it.
I wanted people to understand that, yes, I’m gay, but that’s just one part of my character. Wrestling could be a whole other facet.