From continuous battles for securing equal rights to constantly dealing with prevailing stereotypes, transgender athletes and LGBTQ+ community have come a long way. However, the debates around inclusion and diversity are still running in gray areas. And for the NCAA swimmer, Lia Thomas, it was one turbulent swim. However, after facing continuous scrutiny about her participation in competitive swimming, Lia Thomas decided to bid goodbye to her beloved arena.

The ‘inclusion’ and ‘fairness’ debates have gained momentum in the year 2022, following the participation of Lia Thomas in the NCAA Division I Championships. Following this, the nuanced conjectures around trans athletes and biologically gifted athletes in women’s sports have been deliberated at the apex sports organizations and at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Ever since then, the deliberations around this parley garnered negative light for Lia Thomas. In the wake of this, the NCAA swimmer has now decided to retire from the sport, citing the reason of  “the constant battle to seek acceptance.”

Lia Thomas decides to retire from competitive swimming

On 12th October, 24/7 News USA shared a Facebook post about Lia Thomas’ retirement with the caption, “Lia Thomas Bows Out of Competitive Swimming, says “Nobody Wants Me On Their Team.” This announcement comes after an arduous journey filled with emotional turmoil, scrutiny, and isolation. Thomas’ story prompts broader questions about fairness and inclusivity in sports.

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Stating the reason for her retirement, Thomas conceded with the blockers and scrutiny she faced in her journey and added, “The waters have been turbulent, not due to the physical demands but the constant battle to seek acceptance and fairness in a sport I adore. No athlete should feel isolated or singled out for their identity rather than recognized for their achievements.”

Lia’s decision to retire from competitive swimming came months after heated debates, discussions, and conversations regarding the inclusion of transgender athletes in the women’s category of the competitive sports. Nevertheless, the parley surrounding the 24-year-old transgender swimmer first got ignited after her victory in the Zippy Invitational 2021.

What led to Lia Thomas’ untimely retirement

In 2021, Lia Thomas swam the fastest time in the nation in the women’s 200 and 500-yard freestyle and won the 1650 freestyle by nearly 40 seconds at the Zippy Invitational. Since then, the University of Pennsylvania swimmer became the center of the spotlight as the spectators intrigued whether transgender female athletes should be allowed to participate in women’s athletics or not based on the biological advantage.

Following this, in 2022, Thomas appeared in a Sports Illustrated interview and addressed the conjectures, saying, “I don’t know exactly what the future of my swimming will look like after this year, but I would love to continue doing it.” She further added, “I want to compete as who I am.”

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She then touched the avenues of what it feels like competing in a women’s category and shared her perspective regarding the same. “I’m a woman, just like anybody else on the team. I’ve always viewed myself as just a swimmer. It’s what I’ve done for so long, it’s what I love.”

However, in 2023, after a long-standing debate revolving around inclusion and diversity, Lia Thomas has decided to bid goodbye to her beloved arena citing the reason of turbulence in her journey. With this, one question remains stagnant, does this parley around fairness, inclusion and diversity will ever recah its end or will it persistently prevail in the sporting realm?

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