Chris Mosier Becomes The First Openly Trans Athlete On A US National Team
At the 2016 World Duathlon Championship over the weekend, Chris Mosier officially became the first openly trans person to earn a place on a US National Team.
The grueling competition included a sprint run (which Mosier placed seventh in) and a run-bike-run event, made up of a 1.5 mile run, 14 mile bike ride and another 1.5 mile dash.
Mosier has been competing in triathalons since 2009, but only since 2010 has he raced as a man.
In a February interview with BuzzFeed Life, Mosier talked about how he almost held off on transitioning into a man five years prior because he wasn't sure how it would effect his ability to compete.
Before transition I was thinking about [competing in the men’s category] and wondering if I’d be able to be competitive. Being an athlete is such a big part of my identity.
Five years ago when I started transitioning, I wouldnt’ve thought this was possible. But as my training has gotten smarter and I’ve become more dedicated to the sport, I set my sights on this and have been training for it. I was confident this would be my year.
In 2014 alone, Mosier won overall in the men's category of the Staten Island Flat as a Pancake Duathlon, winning his age group and placing fourth overall in the Ironman triathalon (2.5 mile swim, 112 mile bike race, 26.2 mile run).
Long story short, he's an absolute champ.
Mosier also founded GO! Athletes, which is a support network for current/former college athletes as well as high school athletes.
His accolades have been praised by numerous well-known trans advocates, including Laverne Cox, who tweeted support for Mosier this week.
Omg so proud of you @TheChrisMosier this is something to truly celebrate #TransIsBeautiful#teamUSAhttps://t.co/SAIjJ2EW5s
— Laverne Cox (@Lavernecox) June 8, 2015
We'll be sure to see a lot more of Mr. Mosier in the future. Congrats!