[MUSIC PLAYING]
 3, 2.
 I just like the
physicality of it.
There's something about,
like, fighting somebody,
like messing them up.
 You like that?
You like that, the pain,
the intensity of it?
MACK BEGGS: Yeah.
I just kind of like
fell in love with it.
 Well, you dominated in
the girls tournaments.
You were undefeated
your junior year.
 Yeah.
And then I was undefeated
my senior year.
 Two seasons and
getting beat once?
 Yeah.
I was pretty happy about that.
 Yeah.
Be happy.
MACK BEGGS: I would, like,
wake up at 5 o'clock.
I would go to the gym,
like, going into the sauna.
I'd go, like, run a mile.
And then I would, like,
workout during lunch.
And then I'd workout after my
workouts, like, during school.
If you, like, put every ounce
of passion and dedication
you can to a sport, it
changes you, as, like,
a complete person.
It's, like, insane.
 You wanted to
compete against males.
You wanted to be
in the male league.
 Yeah, they wouldn't let me.
 How come?
 My birth certificate
said female.
Everyone knew who I was.
Like, I never, like, was
not open about, like,
talking to people.
And all the girls
were supportive.
And like, everyone
around me was supportive.
 There was a lot of
controversy though,
as well, about you
taking the mat.
Why?
 I was taking testosterone.
I put my testosterone shots,
like, up on my Instagram.
And so that was like,
oh, you're beating
all these girls because
you're taking testosterone.
 So things kind of
exploded after that.
 Yeah.
And it got, like, huge.
 17-year-old transgender boy in
Texas has won the state's girls
wrestling championship.
 Mack has been
taking testosterone.
And it shows.
 Many people are upset
that he's taking steroids.
Even if they're
prescribed by a doctor,
they feel like that gives
him an unfair advantage.
MACK BEGGS: And
everybody just basically,
like, disregarded, like,
my work and dedication.
I just felt like
completely betrayed.
It was just like messed up.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
 The story about
Mack is a big deal
in the wrestling community.
Mack was a two-time state
champion in girls division.
But woman's wrestling
and men's wrestling
are two completely
different sports.
 Mack was being recruited
for the women's team here.
They offered a scholarship.
Mack said no, I want to
wrestle with the men.
 I didn't recruit Mack.
My money was already tied up.
And Mack called me.
And you know, he
obviously was getting,
you know, a
wrestling scholarship
from the woman's coach.
And I told him that, you
know, to be part of the team,
he has to do what
a lot of guys do.
They just have to walk
on and prove themselves.
 He was just like, as
long as you work hard
and you dedicate yourself,
I have no issue with you
wrestling on the guys' team.
I was like, bet.
[LAUGHTER]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
 I haven't seen him on the mat
yet because he's been injured
and all that stuff
because of his surgery.
Here at Life University,
we're all about inclusion.
You know, Mack wants to
be treated like a man.
And he's doing things to
be where he needs to be.
And why not give
somebody a chance?
Why not let him
wrestle men, you know,
if that's all he wants to do?
 Do you feel like
you're an advocate
for the trans community?
 I mean, yeah, I
like to think so.
Disregard the word "trans."
We're people.
We are people.
And we all had a choice.
We all had a damn choice to
make ourselves better every day.
After, like, my story
came out, there was, like,
so many trans individuals.
They were like, I'm
a trans athlete.
Like, I don't know what to do.
And like, I was just
like, holy crap,
there's more kids out here
that haven't even, like,
came out yet, like,
as trans themselves,
or, like, they're hiding
from their coaches,
or they're hiding
from their school.
In order to, like,
be OK with yourself,
you have to love yourself first.
You got to, like, do what you
can every single day to be
the best possible
person you can be
versus what you were yesterday.
Getting 1% better
every single day.
That's just in my nature.
Like, I like helping people.
 And inspiring them
through your example.
 At least I hope so.
Like, that's why I want
people to think of my story
is that even when people are,
like, in your face, like,
you could still
come out positive.
You just have to have
the mindset in order
to make the best of it.
 When wrestlers around
the country watch this,
what do you want them
to take away from what
you guys are doing here?
 You know, everybody
is fighting something.
You know, the more
you look around,
everybody's fighting
something different.
And you know, the
beauty about wrestling
is that when you
come to the mat,
and you shake everybody's
hand, and you go out there,
all that gets put away, and
just two guys going at it,
battling to see
who's the toughest.
And you can have one leg,
no legs, no arms, no limbs,
whatever race, however,
if you're rich or poor,
anybody could wrestle.
That's the beautiful
thing about it, you know?
 It's the great
equalizer, these mats.
 Yep.
 But you might have to
take a few bruises, huh?
I'm not getting out there.
MACK BEGGS: Yeah,
that's not a joke.
Like, I've never been in
this type atmosphere before.
And I'm super excited to get
beat up on every single day.
And if I'm not
getting beat up on,
then I'm probably not going
as far as I'm supposed to be.
 Are you intimidated at all?
 No.
No.
I want to be smacked on.
I want to be hit on the head.
If somebody smacks to the floor,
I'll just get right back off,
dust up my feet, and just go
right back as hard as I can,
as much as I can.
