There’s always something admirable about standing by your beliefs or sacrificing something for what you hold dear. Brendan Johnston, a former high school wrestler from Colorado, exemplified this when he chose to forfeit two state tournament matches against girls back in 2018.
The topic of pitting adult males against adult females in physical competition has become a topic of much discussion in recent times. Many people believe that it’s unfair to make men and women compete directly against each other. They recognize the fundamental biological and physiological differences that exist between the two sexes, making it an uneven playing field from the start.
In this particular case, 18-year-old Brendan Johnson took issue with the idea of wrestling against Jaslynn Gallegos from Skyview High in the first round of the state tournament. As a senior at the Classical Academy in Colorado Springs, Brendan made the decision not to fight Angel Rios from Valley High in his third-round consolation match either.
In an interview with KDVR, Brendan, who is a devout Christian, expressed his concerns. He stated, “It’s so physical, physically close. I don’t think that’s really appropriate with a young lady. It’s also very aggressive and I’m not really comfortable with that.” He further explained, “I don’t think that I am looking at them as not equal. I am saying that they are women and that is different than being men because I do believe that men and women are different and we are made differently. But I still believe that women are of equal value to men. I don’t think that seeing men and women as different opposes the idea of equality.”
As a result of Brendan’s decision, he placed sixth in the tournament, while Angel and Jaslynn placed fourth and fifth respectively. Jaslynn, though disappointed, respected Brendan’s choice. In an interview with the Washington Post, she said, “This whole time that I’ve wrestled, it’s just me trying to prove a point that I am just a wrestler. And so the fact that my gender is something that kind of holds me back still is just a little nerve-racking, but I respect his decision. It’s fine. My whole thing is that I’m not a girl wrestler; I’m just a wrestler. So it kind of doesn’t hurt my feelings, but I do kind of take it to heart.”
Brendan’s decision sparked a lot of conversation about gender and equality in sports. What do you think about his choice not to wrestle a female opponent? Let us know in the comments below.
