In early 1936, a Belgian cyclist, Willy de Bruyn, read an article in the Flemish newspaper De Dag that would change his life. He learned that a Czech sprinter who had been assigned female at birth was transitioning and would begin living as a man. It was just the spark de Bruyn needed.
De Bruyn was born in the village of Erembodegem, about 30 miles northwest of Brussels, on Aug. 4, 1914, during the start of World War I. Assigned female at birth, he felt a pull toward masculinity from a young age.
At age 15, Willy de Bruyn worked in a cigarette factory for eight hours a day, a job he loathed. Despite his dissatisfaction, he continued to work to support his parents who owned a local bar.
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