Transgender professional boxer Patricio Manuel continues to break down barriers and make history in inspiring ways. He was just named as the new face for an uplifting campaign from boxing staple, Everlast.
It’s only been less than a year since Patricio Manuel officially became the first transgender boxer ever to compete in a professional-level fight. Prior to that, the 34-year-old was a well-known female boxer before transitioning back in 2013. @PageSix reports that now, popular boxing brand Everlast has named Manuel as the newest face of its “Be First” campaign.
The campaign celebrates athletes who have broken down barriers and “been first” to accomplish things in the world of boxing that no one has before. Previous Everlast campaigns featured boxing legends Jack Dempsey and Sugar Ray Robinson, and a future campaign will feature Jinji Martinez, the only above-knee amputee to beat an able-bodied fighter.
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In the video, Manuel expresses the importance of being your true self:
“A lot of people in boxing who I talked to they would come to me and say, ‘You could have been one of the greatest female world champions, though you would throw it all away to be yourself.’ And I tell them that’s how bad I felt living that lie … Living your truth is going to hurt, but it’s worth it.”
He continues, adding:
“There are so many people that have said that it’s impossible for someone like me, a trans man, to be able to compete against a non-trans man and win and I proved them all wrong that night.”
You can check out the FULL Everlast ad campaign BELOW:
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