Ronda Rousey and the cast of G.L.O.W. — Netflix’s series on women’s wrestling — walked the red carpet just before me. Needless to say the media was less interested in a relatively unknown Canadian freestyle wrestler, but the entire event was celebrating a new era in women’s WWE wrestling. This era disrupts previously conceived notions of Divas and embarks on a new voyage in which women are recognized for their athleticism, and diverse notions of femininity are celebrated. Now this is a WWE I could see myself in!

That night, I witnessed what this new world of women’s wrestling is all about. I was transfixed as Kairi Sane flew from the top ropes and battled against former MMA star, Shayna Baszler, claiming victory at the inaugural Mae Young Classic. I watched Calgary’s own Natalya Neidhart — from the famed Hart family — defend her Smackdown women’s title. By the end of the night I knew I had to try this out for myself.

Two days later, I walked into the WWE Performance Center in Orlando and laced up my shoes for my first foray in professional wrestling. To be honest, I was pretty cocky as I climbed between the ropes. I had dedicated the past 10 years of my life to mastering the craft of freestyle wrestling — how hard could a little fake wrestling be?