“I put it out there in a way that they could understand. Everyone just saw me as the ‘Tomboy Nat.’ Not the girl Nat or the guy Nat. Just Nat,” he said. “I was just really confident in who I was, and I knew who I was. I was just confused as to why God put me in the wrong body.”

Early in high school, Runge began wearing a binder to flatten his breasts. But the stress of having to explain his lifestyle became overwhelming, and Runge developed a rebellious, reckless reputation by partying and not following house rules. Runge said the experience just made him tougher and fight harder for the person he knew was on the inside.

“I just knew, from the day I was born, that I was that way. I was pretty stubborn,” he said. “I just wanted to be happy and do things the way I want to do them, and to make myself happy.”

While in high school, Runge played the guitar and cello, played competitive and recreational softball, basketball and ran track, and in 2006, his senior year at Kearney High School, was named weightlifter of the year.

Abby

After graduation Runge attended the University of Nebraska at Kearney where he studied music business. He wanted to be a rock star.