Trans athlete Chris Mosier was awarded the USA Triathlon Spirit Award earlier this month as part of the annual Multisport Awards. Mosier was one of five athletes named for the award, which recognizes individuals who illustrate the principles of the positive spirit of the sport as displayed through acts of sportsmanship and leadership.
Mosier is also the 2012 ambassador for the Empire Triathlon Club in New York City and works with LGBT sports leagues to improve transgender inclusion.
In 2011, Mosier competed in the Nautica New York Triathlon last August. Two years prior, Mosier competed in the women's division. He transitioned in 2010.
In an August interview with GoPride.com, Mosier said that he never focused on his gender, rather his abilities.
â┚¬Å”I’ve always been athletic,â┚¬Â he told the website shortly before the Nautica Triathlon last year. â┚¬Å”I played baseball and basketball as a kid, and really got into sports in high school. I was known more as an athlete than anything else.â┚¬ÂÂ
Mosier also said that competing in the men's category has proven more challenging than the women's division, which is something he expected.
â┚¬Å”Whereas I would be finishing in the top 10 or top 5 or in some cases, winning a female age group, I’m coming in a much lower place competing against males,â┚¬Â he said in the same interview. â┚¬Å”My times are still good and I’m happy with where I’m at, but winning races doesn’t seem like a feasible thing anymore.â┚¬ÂÂ
With the ambassador title and the Spirit Award under his arm, Mosier is more focused than ever to advocate for all people to feel safe in competitive sports. USA Triathlon is the national governing body for the sport of triathlon and duathlon and has over 135,000 members.
