13. Chris Mosier, Transgender Athlete & Advocate

Chris Mosier is a Hall of Fame triathlete and duathlete, and was called “The Man Who Changed the Olympics” by The BBC and New York Magazine. He’s a barrier-breaking Nike-sponsored athlete, who you may have seen in Nike’s commercials during the 2016 Rio Olympics. He’s a three-time Ironman, and was named Best Personal Trainer in the Northeast by Competitor Magazine in 2014. Chris was the first transgender athlete to be featured in the ESPN Magazine Body Issue, and was named Person of the Year by Outsports. In 2015, he became the first openly transgender man to make a men’s U.S. National Team when he qualified for the sprint duathlon team. He was also a catalyst for change in the International Olympic Committee Policy on transgender athletes. He’s also the vice president of program development and community relations for You Can Play and is an online coach for Daily Burn. Even though I’ve known Chris for years and consider him a very close friend, I asked a lot of the questions I’ve always had about what it means to be transgender, and he was kind (and patient) enough to answer all of them. Chris was never uncomfortable, and reassured me, “You don’t know what you don’t know.” There’s so much good stuff in this episode, and I learned so much during my conversation with Chris. Throughout the episode, we talk about Chris’s transition, what it was like for his family and his wife, and how it affected his sports performance and racing goals. We also talk about his job, what it was like being in a Nike commercial, and what he wishes more people understood about being transgender. Stuff We Mention on the Show: November Project: http://november-project.com/ New York Road Runners: www.nyrr.org New York Times story on Chris competing at the New York City Triathlon: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/06/sports/for-transgender-triathlete-a-top-finish-is-secondary.html 2016 “Unlimited Courage” Nike Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gq8PO9XK2Y Chris Mosier in ADWEEK: http://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/nikes-latest-ad-stars-chris-mosier-first-transgender-athlete-us-national-team-172881/ Chris Mosier on Making History as First Trans Member of Team USA: http://www.rollingstone.com/sports/features/chris-mosier-first-trans-team-usa-member-w432272 TransAthlete: https://www.transathlete.com/ You Can Play: http://www.youcanplayproject.org/ Chris Mosier in ESPN’s Body Issue: http://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/page/bodychrismosier/duathlete-chris-mosier-breaking-barriers-repping-team-usa-body-issue-2016 Follow Chris: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechrismosier/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thechrismosier/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheChrisMosier Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/188131 Follow Ali: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliontherun1 Twitter: https://twitter.com/aliontherun1 Blog: http://www.aliontherunblog.com/ Strava: https://www.strava.com/athletes/13333410 Thank you for listening to and supporting the Ali on the Run Show! If you’re enjoying the show, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Spread the run love!