DENVER – MSU Denver, which takes pride in supporting diversity throughout the institution, provided students and student-athletes an opportunity during Homecoming Week to hear and engage with Chris Mosier, a member of Team USA in duathlon and triathlon.
Mosier was the first transgender athlete to make a men's U.S. National Team and advocated for changing International Olympic Committee policy on transgender athletes.
"When I was able to share with my teammates who I really was, my performance excelled," Mosier said told MSU Denver student-athletes. "When I owned all that, I became a much better athlete."
Besides a 45-minute session with student-athletes last Wednesday, which included a long question-and-answer session, Mosier also spoke to a group of students from the general population as well as a meeting with an LGBTQ group from MSU Denver.
Mosier is the primary source for information and policy regarding transgender people in sport. His web site, transathlete.com, is a resource for information about transgender inclusion. He has also mentored transgender athletes around the world while helping teams and leagues create gender-inclusive policy.
Among his multiple advocacy endeavors, Mosier previously was the executive director of GO! Athletes, a national network for high school and college athletes that creates safer spaces in athletics through visibility, education and advocacy.
"I can almost guarantee you that you have someone who is LGBTQ on your teams, statistically speaking, and it's just a matter of whether they are out or not," Mosier said. "So I really want to create an awareness of that."
Mosier began competing in triathlon as a female before publicly self-identifying as a transgender man in 2010.
He made Team USA in 2015 for the sprint duathlon, which is a 5-kilometer run, followed by a 20-kilometer bike, and then a 2.5-kilometer run. Triathlon, meanwhile, adds swimming to the equation: a full triathlon is a 2.5-mile run, a 112-mile bike, and then a marathon (26.2-mile run). Mosier has also become a race-walker, and won the USA Masters & Open National 5K last month.
"I'm more about the journey of athletics, the process more than the race itself," he said. "I love the process of becoming more fit."
Mosier had many experiences, positive and negative, throughout his journey. But he recalls support he received after winning his first race after transitioning as a highlight.
"That's the beautiful thing about sport," he said.
He shared some lighter moments, too.
When I made Team U.S.A., I was like, 'Where's my call from (President Barack) Obama?'" Mosier said, laughing. "(Former NBA player) Jason Collins came out and he got a call. (NFL draft pick) Michael Sam came out and he got a call."
Mosier has been sponsored by Nike and was featured in a commercial that aired during the 2016 Summer Olympics. He has also been featured in the ESPN Body Issue.
As for being the catalyst for changing IOC policy for transgender athletes he said, "That's part of my nature. If someone says I can't do it, then I say why not?"
