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Lia Thomas and Iszac Henig have been recognized as Outsports Transgender Athletes of the Year for 2022 for their achievements in the competition and the impact they have had on sports. The effects of their performances last season went well beyond the pool and helped shape the expanding conversation on inclusiveness.
Lia Thomas, a swimmer for the University of Pennsylvania, gained national attention around this time last year. A few weeks prior, she had set many freestyle swimming records at a University of Akron invitational competition that was otherwise ordinary.
Iszac Henig, meanwhile, was somewhat unknown at the time, but his Yale women's swimming colleagues saw great value in him. After coming out as transgender in 2021, he opted to put off undergoing hormone replacement therapy because he wanted one more chance to win an Ivy League title with his Ally teammates.
Lia Thomas and Iszac Henig's journey
Penn and Yale's seniors gathered for a photo following the meeting. It was Lia Thomas' final competition at Penn. The two transgender student-athletes sat next to one another, unsure of their future connections.
As their school and Princeton participated in a twin-dual match in January at Penn, they grew closer. In the 100-yard freestyle, they competed head-to-head, with Iszac Henig coming out triumphant. Thomas finished sixth.
Lia Thomas became well-known after posting times in 200-meter and 500-meter that automatically qualified her for the NCAA. Many of the arguments were made by individuals who believed she would ruin women's sports.
Many pundits, some supporters of women's sports, and historically anti-LGBTQ organizations sought to portray her as a monster who would destroy the sport. The NCAA, USA Swimming, and FINA, later in the year, may have changed the rules for transgender women in women's swimming, fearing her ascent in the sport.
Thomas would swim quickly and utter a few words, despite the NCAA providing conflicting signals as the championships approached. Even while members of her own team claimed they had been "silenced" and anonymously squawked to any anti-trans media outlet that would listen, she handled the situation with elegance.
She was in the starting blocks at the Ivy League championship meet more than two years after she first began her transition. Thomas was part of a winning relay team, winning three solo titles, and teaming up with Iszac Henig to create further history.
In a replay of their battle at Penn, the 100-yard freestyle championship came down to these two unlikely newsmakers. Iszac Henig won the conference championship in the 50-yard freestyle sprint, making his own history in the process.
However, Lia Thomas won the confrontation this time. It was the first time two transgender athletes competed in a Division I conference final, and they came out on top, taking first and second place.
Both athletes made their marks in Atlanta for the NCAA Division I championships a month later. Iszac Henig earned All-America recognition after finishing fifth in the 100-meter freestyle and also received accolades for a temporary tattoo on his arm that attracted the attention of several cameras.
Thomas broke the 500-yard freestyle mark by adding her name to the record books. She defeated three American Olympians to become the first transgender student-athlete to win an NCAA Division I national title. Although it was her first national championship, she finished the meet with All-American status in each of her other individual competitions.
After the meeting was over, speculation persisted about the political and regulatory landscape. Some candidates for office in the US midterm elections frequently bring up her name.
Lia Thomas' hopes of participating in the Paris Olympics in 2024 were basically dashed when the international swimming federation moved through with the revised rules. Rules for other Olympic sports, including cycling, have either been or are in the process of being altered.
Due to concerns about successful transgender women "dominating," even sports such as disc golf have implemented similar regulatory adjustments. Talk about a Penn swimmer who had a fantastic year and is largely responsible for that worry.
Previous winner of Outsports Transgender Athletes of the Year:
- 2021 - Alana McLaughlin
- 2020 - Lindsay Hecox
