At a first-of-its-kind event in Los Angeles on April 25, 20-year-old Tristan Milker won the world’s first-ever live sperm race and was awarded a cash prize of $10,000 (approximately ₹8.30 lakh). The event was organized to bring attention to the problem of falling male fertility.
The race had two university students — Tristan Milker of the University of Southern California (USC) and Asher of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Every contestant provided a sample of sperm that was subjected to trial in a specially created microscopic track.
What Went Down at the Race!
The competition was on an eight-inch-long track designed to replicate the female reproductive system. The catch: The sperm had to navigate through a tiny route and across the finish line. To make it viewer-friendly, the sperm were enlarged 100 times using a microscope and brought to life in 3D so viewers could see what’s happening in real time.
Say hello to Tristan Milker
Tristan Milker, also known as Tristan Mykel, is not only a USC student but also a social media content creator. He calls himself a “fertility athlete and nutritional strategist.” Tristan follows a strict health regime, which according to him, prepared him for the race.
Milker revealed that he cut alcohol, adhered to an eight-hour sleeping routine, and exercised consistently leading up to the competition. Some of his distinct health routines are drinking two liters of pineapple juice and eight gallons of water a day. He shares information and advice regarding commercial sperm racing with his online supporters.
How Sperm Racing Works?
In an Instagram video, Milker described the process of sperm racing. A sperm sample was first taken and centrifuged to separate the most mobile sperm, those capable of competing. The purified sperm are then deposited onto a microscopic track constructed for the race.
High-definition cameras follow every sperm with YOLO computer vision software, placing a bounding box on them to track them,” Milker added. He clarified that conditions such as hormones, temperature, and counter-flow are employed to mimic real-world conditions and direct the sperm to the finish line, an approach borrowed from the way salmon swim upstream. The whole race is streamed on a ‘jumbo screen’ to make it accessible and enjoyable for the audience.
