Lia Thomas has offered a rare reflection on life as one of the most talked-about transgender athletes in global sport, describing the emotional aftermath of intense public scrutiny and the lasting connection to swimming despite exclusion from elite competition.
In an in-depth interview with Philadelphia public media outlet WHYY, the former University of Pennsylvania swimmer discussed the turbulence surrounding NCAA success and the challenges that followed a rapid rise to international attention.
Thomas became a focal point of debate in 2022 after claiming several collegiate titles, igniting fierce arguments about fairness, inclusion, and transgender participation in women’s sport.
The controversy resurfaced this year when the Trump administration ordered the University of Pennsylvania to remove the swimmer’s records.
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The institution later revised three school records and issued an apology to female athletes who competed during that period.
Competitive swimming at the highest level ended in 2024 after a failed legal challenge against World Aquatics’ policy that bars transgender women who have experienced male puberty from participating in elite female events.
Since that decision, the athlete’s relationship with the pool has become more personal than professional.
Lia Thomas has offered a rare reflection on life as one of the most talked-about transgender athletes in global sport, describing the emotional aftermath of intense public scrutiny and the lasting connection to swimming despite exclusion from elite competition
|GETTY
“I still swim occasionally, just on my own at a local YMCA,” Thomas said.
“With everything that happened my senior year and has happened since, it’s very easy to slip into almost a negative perception of swimming, where being in the water brings up all that pain and grief all over again.
“It takes a lot of effort to focus on the joy that swimming still brings.
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Lia Thomas dominated the NCAA Swimming Championships in 2022 | GETTY“There are moments where it feels like flying, a place of peace and happiness, but it unfortunately takes a concerted effort at times.”
During the conversation, Thomas recalled struggling with gender dysphoria from a young age and finding solace in the water long before any public attention.
Realisation of being transgender came just before college, a moment described as “a wonderful realisation,” quickly followed by concern about how others might respond.
Family support was not immediate.
“They parroted a lot of really transphobic talking points, and it caused a lot of harm,” Thomas said.
“But it wasn’t totally unsalvageable. What fixed it was seeing just how much this meant to me.
Lia Thomas became a swimming sensation before being banned from the sport | GETTY“After starting hormone replacement therapy, they saw how much happier I was when I was being true to myself.
“Every day they saw that, they only solidified their support and are now some of my biggest supporters.”
Periods of isolation during the height of the backlash were eased by close family and trusted friends, including Schuyler Bailar, a former Harvard swimmer and the first openly transgender man to compete in NCAA Division I swimming.
When asked what message could help young transgender athletes navigating similar struggles, Thomas shared advice first received from Bailar: “It’s easier to fight the whole world than to fight yourself every day.
“When I look back on the journey — all the difficulties, all the highs and lows — I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
“There’s no substitute for living as your authentic self. It takes courage, but it’s absolutely worth it, and anyone can do it.”