Sport was once a major part of my life. I spent years training, competing and pushing my limits as an amateur triathlete.
When you first looked at the photo, what did you see?
An athlete. A competitor. A man.
Perhaps you felt you already knew something about me.
The athlete in the picture and the transgender woman writing these words are the same person.
Today, I often present myself differently than the person you saw in the photograph. Yet the determination, resilience and passion that drove me then are still very much part of who I am today.
I do not experience my life as a choice between two different people. Rather, I have learned to embrace different sides of myself, each equally real and meaningful.
The image you saw is real.
So is the person I am today.