By Dirk Smith

By competing in Team USA’s Olympic Trials for the 50km Race Walk event on January 25th, Chris Mosier, the first openly trans athlete to qualify for a national team, has continued to blaze the trial for trans athletes by becoming the first trans athlete to compete in an Olympic qualifier in the gender division that reflects their own gender identity.

Mosier’s primary sport is Duathlon, which in 2016 he became Team USA’s first ever rostered athlete who was openly trans and competing in the gender division that aligns with his own identity. However, Duathlon is not an Olympic sport which is why he hasn’t competed in an Olympic Qualifier until now.

Since last year, Mosier has been training in racewalking specifically for this moment as he explained on his Instagram that the Olympic Trials was his main goal since the beginning.

“I started training in a new sport in May 2019. In January 2020, I was ranked 12th and toe the line with the best men in the nation,” he explained.

Unfortunately, the qualifier was the end of the road for him on this cycle as he was forced to withdraw due to a knee injury part way through the race. He shared that he had been struggling with a knee injury leading into the trial and that he had to face the options of “go all out today and hurt myself even more, or exit early and live to race another day.”

Despite this setback, Mosier said he was proud and grateful to have gotten this farm describing it as an “incredible experience.” Mosier is very optimistic for his future in the sport;

“Despite the agony of watching most of this race from the sideline, I had a wonderful experience. I feel blessed to be here. I can’t downplay the significance of starting the race or the fact that I only started racewalking seven months ago and have done only two races prior – a pretty awesome beginning to my new sport.

“This is just a step on my journey. Coach Robyn told me today: “progress is not a straight line” It’s true.

“It’s all good as long as we are moving forward. And forward isn’t always a straight line either. This isn’t the end – on the contrary, this is very early in this new chapter. And I will say now with confidence: this is not my last race or last Olympic Trials.”

Image from Chris Mosier/ Instagram