Respect is often earned by standing firm in one\u2019s beliefs, especially when it means making personal sacrifices. Brendan Johnston, a former high school wrestler from Colorado, exemplified this in 2018 when he forfeited two state tournament matches rather than compete against female opponents.<\/p>\n
Citing his Christian faith and personal values, Brendan chose not to wrestle Jaslynn Gallegos and Angel Rios, effectively ending his high school wrestling career. He explained that wrestling involves close physical contact, which he felt was inappropriate with a girl, based on his upbringing and beliefs about treating women with respect.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not saying women are unequal,\u201d he told KDVR. \u201cI believe men and women are different, but equal in value.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a result, Brendan placed sixth in the tournament. Jaslynn and Angel took fourth and fifth. While Jaslynn expressed disappointment, she respected his choice, saying, \u201cI\u2019m just a wrestler, not a girl wrestler. But I still take it to heart.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Respect is often earned by standing firm in one\u2019s beliefs, especially when it means making personal sacrifices. Brendan Johnston, a former high school wrestler from Colorado, exemplified this in 2018 when he forfeited two state tournament matches rather than compete against female opponents. Citing his Christian faith and personal values, Brendan chose not to wrestle…<\/p>\n