Who is Molly Cameron? Everything you need to know about the controversial transgender athlete who won in women’s cycling event

Molly Cameron is an American cyclo-cross rider, who has been racing on the pro-level since 2004. She was the first openly transgender athlete (male to female) to compete at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, although she competed in the men's category.

The 46-year-old was born and raised in Texas, and she also races in the track, road, and mountain-biking disciplines. Throughout her career, Molly has faced intense criticism and backlash from many upon her participation in the women's categories.

Recent examples of this backlash came when Molly won the Cascade Gravel Race in the women's category. She also faced criticism when she finished midpack with another trans athlete, Lesley Mumford, at the 2023 SBT GRVL in the women's category.

Alongside cycling, Molly has long since been an advocate for the LGBTQ community, looking to raise awareness on certain issues. She has founded RIDE, an organization that advocates for the human rights, equality, respect, representation, privacy, and the dignity of the LGBTQIA+ community within sports and outdoor industries.

In July 2023, when the UCI (Union Cycliste International) banned transgender women competing according to their gender identity, Molly Cameron was amongst the first to speak out. She was backed by many respected athletes, including Olympic cyclist Hayley Smith.

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Molly Cameron faces reprisal from swimmer Riley Gaines on her participation at the 2023 SBT GRVL

Last weekend, riders Molly Cameron and Lesley Mumford participated at the 2023 SBT GRVL competition. While both the athletes finished in the middle of the pack, they were still subject to critics claiming that they were stealing opportunities made for women cyclists.

Riley Gaines, a former American swimmer, was one of the critics who lashed out. Gaines retweeted a post that said,

''You only care about keeping trans (i.e. male) athletes out of women's sports when they win.' Wrong. We always care. Molly Cameron & Lesley (Wesley) Mumford finished midpack at SBT GRVL last weekend. But they should have finished midpack in the men's category, not the women's.”

Adding to the tweet, the swimmer wrote,

"It doesn't matter if a male wins or gets last place in the women's category. They're still taking spots, opportunities, and recognition from women. No girl should have to compare themselves physically to a male. Males competing against women will never be a lateral movement.”