A transgender man could become the next Men's Health "Ultimate Guy," thanks to nearly 25,000 votes and counting in his favor.
Should he win, Aydian Dowling, a 27-year-old from Eugene, Oregon, will cover the magazine's November 2015 issue. For now, Dowling maintains almost three times as many votes as the man in second place.
"As a transgender male, having a healthy body and mind is my ultimate goal to find peace within my soul," he writes in his contest submission. "Although I may always have some kind of battle with my body, I continue to work every day for a happy peace within."
An avid body builder, Dowling is the founder of Beefheads Fitness, a YouTube channel that covers health and fitness for transgender people.
"I want to break the stereotype of what a man should or shouldn't be," he told People magazine. "I think it would blow minds. I think it would be so affirming to young kids who are lost right now and depressed, to see somebody on a magazine, to see if I can do it, they can do it too."
Voting closes on June 21 at 11:59 p.m., after which Men's Health will select 100 finalists to move on the the next stage in the contest.