Eighteen-year-old Mack Beggs, a student at Euless Trinity High School near Dallas entered the competition with a 32-0 record and beat Chelsea Sanchez, the same opponent he defeated for the title last year.
For Beggs, everything was not same this year. “I definitely felt different. I felt a lot more humble. This year I wanted to prove a point that anyone can do anything. Even though I was put in this position, even though I didn’t want to be put in this position, even though I wanted to wrestle the guys, I still had to wrestle the girls,” Beggs said to a local daily.
According to the reports, Beggs wanted to wrestle in boy’s division. But Texas University of Interscholastic League rules require athletes to compete under the gender on their birth certificate. So Beggs had to wrestle against girls.
Wrestling against girls drew lots of criticism for Beggs. People considered it to be unfair for the female participants as the transgender boy is undergoing physical transition treatment, in which he receives a low dose of male hormone testosterone.
“I put too much blood, sweat and tears. In my heart, I am a champion. No matter who you put in front of me, I am a champion,” Beggs added.
