While advocacy work can sometimes get stressful, it has also been really affirming -- it affirms who I am, my purpose, my existence, and that brings a lot of joy and happiness.

Any time I participate in a race, I'm always making sure I have my nonbinary flag, and that I've got some physical representation of my identity.

When I was younger, I barely knew anything other than a cisgender heterosexual life, and that is why I'm here – to show the non-binary person who is spectating, cheering me on, and being super excited that, "You exist. You deserve a space here as well."

The more that I can do to make sure that I am being that representation for the next person, the more joy it brings. My hope is that the work that I'm doing and the space that I am carving out, is going to help the next generation, the next person that comes along.

Even if it's just that one person, it is entirely worth it. And to my younger self, who didn’t have this representation, I would say:

What you're feeling is valid. You may not have the language to describe it, but continue to lean into that and don't let anyone else dim that light or tell you that those feelings are invalid or wrong. Continue to explore, to be curious and to be playful. These are the big pieces that we forget as we get older. Society tells us to conceal everything, and to not navigate out of the lines. But the more we can do to push those boundaries and discover more about who we are and why we're here, the better.

[As told to @Ragi Gupta ]