For the Love of the Sport: Wren Exley Wins Male Athlete of the Year at Gymnastics Nationals

UCLA Club Sports

For the Love of the Sport: Wren Exley Wins Male Athlete of the Year at Gymnastics Nationals

5/1/2019 1:30:00 AM

BY VINNY LAVALSITI
UCLA Club Sports Beat Writer

Despite his critics, Wren Exley has thrived in being both a gymnast and being himself all For the Love of the Sport.

UCLA club gymnastics member Wren Exley earned a third all-around finish and scored a 9.6 on his floor routine at Nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida. But Exley's most notable accomplishment last weekend didn't validate his status as an excellent gymnast but as a man. Exley – a transgender man – was awarded Male Athlete of the Year by the National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs (NAIGC) during the post-meet awards.

"To me, it means so much," Exley said. "Just to be considered as a male athlete means everything to me because I am a transgender man. To be seen as a man in general, that is something I had to earn. To be seen as a male athlete, I feel like (those) are the two biggest things in my life coming together."

Exley said the NAIGC's selection of himself as the Male Athlete of the Year demonstrates the value the committee weighs within its competitors and has opened new inroads for the male and transgender athletes of the UCLA club gymnastics program.

"UCLA club gymnastics is a really unique program," Exley said. "I've never seen anything like it before. I've never seen men (be) able to compete (in) women's gymnastics legitimately or vice versa. I think it opens a lot of doors for people – not just trans people – but for people who want to try something new. I think NAIGC puts value in those things."

In a gymnastics world that puts the pressure on children to be highly competitive at a very young age, the opportunity for meaningful competition seldom comes. Exley noted the surgical requirements to compete shouldn't be performed until a trans athlete is over the age of 18 to begin with – the age limit for "post-pubescent" competition in the USAG.

"It's still really difficult for young trans people to feel accepted and to be able to compete in what's considered official gymnastics," Exley said. "USAG – the main gymnastics organization in the U.S. – currently it's really difficult for trans women to compete unless they fully transition… I think trans women don't usually have those things done until they're a legal adult and as soon as you're 18, you're not allowed to compete in USAG anyway… To find a space in the gymnastics world – because it's really competitive. If you go to a serious gym like I went to, they push you from a really young age to be really good and if you don't keep up with the expectations of your age division, they kind of push you aside."

Exley's teammate and NAIGC board member Kessendra Ng was among the list of officials who voted Exley in as Male Athlete of the Year. Ng, who received help in choreographing her floor routine from Exley, read to the Nationals crowd of his contributions to UCLA club gymnastics.

"Wren is not only the best apparel chair we've had, but also lends a hand helping out in every aspect of the gym," Ng said. "He helps coach other gymnasts, suggests social ideas, and goes above and beyond what is required of him. Even though he recently suffered a jaw fracture and a concussion, he managed to rise up even stronger and place in most events at our recent Pauley Pavilion meet. He is extremely committed to improving himself, not only attending all the scheduled Club Gymnastics practices but also open gym times. While there are some people out there who have disparaged him and tried to put him down, he still stays true to himself and follows his passion for gymnastics - truly embodying the NAIGC motto of 'For the love of the sport.'"

Exley can be seen assisting the children gymnasts of the Bruin Gymnastics Academy near the entrance of the John Wooden Center. Outside of Exley's psycho bio studies, he is contemplating a career path in gymnastics to have a part in the sport's transformation towards inclusivity.

"I would consider working with the NAIGC and coaching at a club to have more influence over how gymnasts are talked to and show they're worth more than just winning," Exley said.

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