Like many of you reading this article, I grew up watching WWE. The sounds of Monday Night Raw and Friday Night Smackdown were a constant in my household. When I heard one of my favorite wrestlers, AJ Mendez Brooks  (known by her stage name AJ Lee) wrote a memoir, I knew I had to read it.

Crazy Is My Superpower is a memoir written by Brooks. It chronicles her life and experiences as a lower class Puerto Rican American from New Jersey. Her upbringing was full of many ups and downs. Her family was constantly homeless, and her mom suffered from Bipolar Disorder.  Her mother’s illness affected the way Brooks was raised. She was manipulated and ridiculed by her mother, which had a negative impact on her childhood.

By the time Brooks was 17 years old, she decided to apply to NYU. After anticipating a decision, she learned she had been accepted. While at NYU, Brooks suffered from a manic episode and learned she, similarly to her mother, had bipolar disorder. Instead of letting this illness rule her, she let it fuel her. She stated, “When you are at your lowest, there really is nowhere else to go but up.”

After dropping out of NYU, AJ decided to pursue her real passion, wrestling. She trained for years in the independent wrestling scene until she was offered a tryout for WWE. When she finally debuted on a 2011 episode of SmackDown, she was an instant success. Fans related to her struggles with mental illness, and valued her unwillingness to be perceived as a pretty face in the male dominated wrestling world. By the time she retired in 2014, she was the longest reigning Divas champion and left a lasting impact on women’s wrestling for years to come. 

As a Puerto Rican American, Brooks’ story continues to inspire me. Her book is a must read. Her strength reminds us that while it is okay to struggle, you do not have to struggle in silence. During Hispanic Heritage Month and Depression Awareness Month, it is important to highlight Latinos that have experienced depression in silence. Asking for help and support when you need it is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength. In the words of AJ Mendez Brooks, “You are worth saving. And you are not alone.”