User:Nte1016/sandbox

Chris Mosier struggled with gender identity at a young age. He knew at four years old that his gender identity and biological sex did not match. He began his transition in 2010 when he legally changed his name, and then began to receive testosterone injections. By making this transition, Chris gave up his top ranking in the women’s category, but the reward was far greater. Since transitioning, Chris has received overwhelmingly positive receptions from fellow athletes. Chris spoke about his experience with Chicago GoPride, saying, “Competing as a woman, I thought about gender all the time, to a point where it interfered with my ability to be successful because I didn't feel comfortable at races. Now, I feel more able to focus and gender doesn't come up as much.” Chris is also a USA Triathlon certified coach. He is interested in helping others reach their athletic goals, particularly LGBT youth. Being an educator as well, Chris is aware of the opportunity to share his knowledge and to speak out as a voice of transgender experience for those who cannot. USA Triathlon awarded trans triathlete Chris Mosier an honorable mention for the USA Triathlon 2011 Spirit of Multisport Award, part of the annual Multisport Awards. Chris was honored for his work in promoting trans visibility and LGBT inclusion in multisport and his commitment to advocating for all people to have the opportunity to feel safe, compete, and thrive in sports. He is still interested in competing at the highest level, and has placed 10th in the male category and 3rd overall in recent races. Both TRX and Odwalla are sponsoring Chris’ athletic endeavors, and Odwalla has named Chris on of its 2011 Athlete Ambassadors. Chris has also been named 2012 ambassador for the Empire Triathlon Club in NYC and is currently working with LGBT sports leagues to improve transgender inclusion.