Thea Trinidad's 9/11 Tragedy: Father's Memory Fuels Wrestling Career

For former WWE performer Thea Trinidad, the anniversary of the September 11th attacks carries a profound personal weight. Her father, Michael Trinidad, a telecommunications analyst for Cantor Fitzgerald, was among the nearly 3,000 victims who died that day.

Michael Trinidad was working on the 103rd floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center when the attacks occurred. He was 33 years old. In the moments before the towers collapsed, he made calls to his children to say goodbye. Thea was 10 years old at the time. This profound loss continues to shape her life and career.

Her father was the catalyst for her interest in professional wrestling. Together, they would watch wrestling promotions like WWE, ECW, and WCW. The memory of watching Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero at WCW’s Halloween Havoc in 1997 solidified her dream of entering the business. Her journey in wrestling is deeply intertwined with his memory and the bond they shared over the sport.

Trinidad, who now wrestles under the name Xelina, acknowledges that her grief is not inherently greater than anyone else's, but it is uniquely marked by the public nature of the tragedy. "If somebody lost a father and they lose them to a heart attack or something, it’s not any less important than how I lost my dad. The only difference is I have to be reminded of it and watch it," she stated. "I could literally physically watch my father die every single year."

She described the re-experiencing of the event through media, noting, "Sometimes you will be watching a movie, and randomly they’ll show a clip of it. You will be watching the news and all of a sudden they’ll show a clip of it or someone on Instagram or Twitter will be trolling about it. It’s insane that this is where we’re at this year."

Despite the recurring pain, her father remains a "beacon of hope," guiding her through her career and life, with her wrestling aspirations inextricably linked to his enduring influence.