'When I thought about giving wrestling a shot, I believed that a sport often associated with macho men may not accept someone like me.' ✍️ Jensen Ryan
My eyes glued to the screen, I watched the dramatically-costumed and fancily-named wrestlers storm into the ring, full of bravado and theatrical threats, before launching into over-the-top fight sequences.
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. American football star Colton Underwood, for example, came out on national TV after he had retired from the NFL.Eventually, it was seeing an article about a new local wrestling school that persuaded me to take the plunge and finally sign up. I was 34 and it had been a passion of mine for so long.
achievement. Though I wasn’t opening up about my sexuality just yet, I’d made the first move and joined the sport I’d loved for decades. I’d never felt anything like it. Despite war raging around them, Kyiv Pride continue to help LGBTQ+ people, offering those in need shelter, food and psychological support., a charity dedicated to supporting young homeless LGBTQ+ people.In October 2019, Quality Wrestling, the academy I have trained with since I started, put a status on their social media supporting National Coming Out Day and I saw the amount of positive responses to the post.