Their samples were placed at the starting line of a microscopic racecourse, displayed for the audience on multiple large screens. The two competitors watched from inside large, glass tubes on either side of the stage. The course was modeled after the female reproductive system.
Because, well, this is USC.
After a very short race, Wilcher was declared the winner. The USC sophomore wasn’t expecting the call to action.
“I mean this guy knocks on my frat door, stares at me for five seconds, and asks me, ‘Do you wanna be a part of something massive?‘,” Wilcher said.
According to Wilcher, the concept was a hard sell.
“I thought this is the most insane concept I’ve ever heard. And so about a day later, I really thought about it, and I was like, wait, that’s actually a really good idea, not only to entertain people, but also to promote men’s health and reproductive health that’s not talked about at all,” Wilcher said.
The youthful creators of Sperm Racing claim their goal is to raise awareness of a rise in male infertility. They asked the question, if you can train your body for sports, why can’t you train your reproductive system too?
According to the National Institute of Health, microplastics exert significant toxic effects on the reproductive system. Recent animal studies have shown that microplastic exposure severely alters adult sperm production.
Keck School of Medicine urologist Dr. Kian Asanad thinks the event did a great job educating viewers about male infertility.
“Conventionally, most folks think that a couple’s inability to achieve a pregnancy is due to a female factor. But we know that 20% of the time it is due to solely a male factor, and male factors can contribute in about 30% of the time,” said Asanad.
The sperm race did more than raise awareness. Some people even placed bets.
Despite its controversial nature, the sperm race confirmed one thing. That USC always comes out on top.