The story of the journey that transwoman Janae Marie Kroczaleski took to become her true identity is not only wonderfully uplifting but filmmaker Michael Del Monte’s affectionate documentary captures it all perfectly without any hint of sensationalism that usually accompanies stories like Janae’s.
It all really starts back in In the summer of 2015 when former US Marine and world record weightlifter Matt “Kroc” Kroczaleski was publicly outed as being transgender. This muscle-bulging strapping ultra-alpha man had been struggling with his gender identity since early childhood. Now as a much-feted champion he has, as he admitted, attempted to start transitioning about eight times in the past decade and so now seized this very public disclosure to finally start his journey in earnest.
He is a divorced father of three teenage boys who totally idolize him and to whom he came out too when they were just 4 and 6 years old. There is a touching scene in the movie when Janae is putting on her wig and makeup as the boys sit nearby watching TV and giving their dad words of encouragement.
The hormones Janae has been taking have radically altered her body from her competition heyday but part of Janae’s dilemma is that as she wants to continue to do weightlifting, then she must accept that the price she will pay is that she always be a 250 lb muscley woman.
Del Monte’s cameras trail her every move as Janae consults with surgeons about making more changes to her body, presents herself as a female to her mother for the first time, and even being the judge for a Trans Weightlifting Competition. The level of acceptance from her friends, and especially all her training buddies, is unanimously supportive. It is greatly helped by the fact that Janae, and formerly Matt, is disarmingly charming. She allows us to witness her vulnerability and is remarkably honest to not just us, but more importantly to herself too.
On paper Janae make seem the most unlikely person ever to undertake a journey like this and in such a public fashion, but after watching it unfold in detail, all you can do is commend her joyous spirit and bravery and hope that this inspiring story of hers will help others who may be struggling with their own identity.
Labels: 2018, documentary, transgender
