U.S. transgender athlete breaks barriers by racing internationally as male

I am a proud, out trans athlete & the 2nd fastest American man in my age group. Very happy with my performance, but mostly feeling excited for others to see me & know it is possible to continue to compete at a high level and be your authentic self. #transathlete #history #teamusa #aviles2016 #duathlon #duathlete #worldchampionship #purplepatchfitness #fuckyeah #nobaddays #raceeverything

A photo posted by thechrismosier (@thechrismosier) on Jun 5, 2016 at 9:34am PDT

Trans athlete Chris Mosier was born biologically female but this weekend, he made sports history by representing the U.S. as a male athlete in an international championship event. He is the first athlete to do so.

According the The Bleacher Report, Mosier ran at the ITU Duathlon World Championships, held in Spain, and placed 142 out of 433.

The athlete, who is originally from New York, began his transition in 2010. Like other athletes who identify with a gender different from the corresponding sex with which they were born, he has gone through many obstacles when it comes to entering competition. In the world of running, triathlon and duathlon, trans athletes are often blocked from racing in a gender category that matches their identity– not the sex that they were born as. It has become a hot-button issue in the sports world and one that Mosier has become a spokesperson for.

Thanks so much to @sports_equality & all of the folks who supported me through my GoFundMe drive. You made this moment possible! #gratitude

— The Chris Mosier (@TheChrisMosier) June 5, 2016

While many races have their own guidelines, for plenty of others, it’s a grey-area matter. Oftentimes, races end up following the International Olympic Committee’s gender reassignment surgery requirement.

Last month, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport released a guide to teach sports organizations how to become more inclusive when dealing with athletes in the trans community.

Mosier’s duathlon in Spain took place on Sunday. Going forward, he will continue to race and train. According the The Bleacher Report, he is looking towards competing in the sport’s world championships in 2017.