Chris Mosier becomes the first transgender person to feature in ESPN’s Body Issue
Duathlete Chris Mosier will be the first transgender person to feature in ESPN’s Body Issue.
The athlete will appear in the magazine which shines the spotlight on a selection of athletes in a series of naked photos.
Rosier began his transition in 2010 and has come a long way since. The 35 year old competes in the run-bike-run race for Team USA.
He qualified for his team last year and has pushed for the International Olympic Committee to make its policy more inclusive of transgender competitors.
Mosier said on Facebook: “For 29 years, I didn’t want to have my photo taken because what I saw reflected back did not match how I saw myself and how I felt inside. I am so proud to be where I am now, and to be in the 2016 Body Issues alongside Dwayne Wade, Von Miller, Greg Louganis and more.”
In an interview with the Huffington Post Mosier revealed he never imagined he would have the courage or desire to appear on the Body Issue. But from doing it, he is now “a better athlete, a better person and a better husband.”
“I’m more and more comfortable and confident every day, and I finally feel at home in my body. I love my body. It took a long time for me to get to a point where I could say that, so I’m happy to be in a place where I can share that with the world. ”
The Body Issue is an annual edition and is described as a “powerful storytelling platform” by it’s creators.
Deputy editor Neely Lohmann said: “Year after year, the athlete allow themselves to be completely vulnerable without audience – not just in the photographs but with their interviews as well.”
“This year we have athletes opening up in raw and moving ways about overcoming physical struggles: everything from asthma to HIV, amputation to transgender transitioning. It’s an honour to tell their stories,” he added.
Mosier joins scores of other transgender stars who are frequenting the front page of magazines. Last year, Caitlyn Jenner broke the stigmatism by appearing on Vanity Fair. More recently, Amelia Gapin was featured on the front cover of Women’s Running. In Germany, Ben Melzer won the front page spot on Men’s Health.
The issues will be available online from July 6th and as a hard copy from July 8th.
