Tristan Milker, a 20-year-old student, won the world’s first live sperm race held in Los Angeles on April 25. He won a cash prize of $10,000 (approximately ₹8.30 lakh). The event was held to raise awareness about the declining male fertility.
Two university students, Tristan and Asher, from USC and UCLA, respectively, took part in the competition. Each of them provided their sperm samples for the race.
A unique track that was eight inches long and intended to resemble the female reproductive system was set up. Sperm had to swim across a narrow track to cross the finish line.
To show viewers how the sperms moved, they were magnified 100 times under a microscope and were later animated in 3D.
Who is Tristan Milker?
Tristan Milker, also known as Tristan Mykel, is a 20-year-old student at the University of Southern California.
He emerged as the winner of the world’s first sperm race and describes himself as a “fertility athlete and nutritional strategist.”
He had given up alcohol, exercised regularly and slept eight hours a night ahead of his much-anticipated showdown.
Tristan Milker is a social media content creator who educates his followers about professional sperm racing, offering insights and tips for aspiring racers. Known for his strict health routine, he drinks two litres of pineapple juice and eight gallons of water daily to stay in peak condition.
What is sperm racing
Milker has explained the process behind sperm racing in a video on Instagram. According to him, the first step is to take a sperm sample and separate the motile sperm — the ones that are going to race. The sample is spun in a centrifuge to isolate the motile sperm and remove other impurities. These sperm are then placed on a microscopic racetrack.
High-resolution cameras track each sperm, using computer vision software (YOLO) to apply a bounding box to each one. Sperm are attracted by hormones, heat, and the opposite flow, which is utilised to guide them towards the finish line, much like how salmon swim upstream. The race is displayed on a user-friendly ‘jumbo screen’ for viewers to watch.
