**Lia Thomas Reflects on Challenges as Transgender Swimmer After Receiving ‘Voice of Inspiration Award’**
Lia Thomas recently reflected on the challenges of being a transgender swimmer after receiving the prestigious *Voice of Inspiration Award* at the 2025 Violet Visionary Awards. Thomas made history as the first openly transgender swimmer to compete at the Division I Championships.
Initially, Thomas was a member of the University of Pennsylvania men’s swimming and diving team. During this time, Thomas became a finalist in the 500-yard, 1000-yard, and 1650-yard freestyle events at the 2018 Ivy League Championships. In 2019, Thomas began hormone replacement therapy, marking a significant transition.
In 2021, Thomas returned to competitive swimming, this time representing the Penn women’s team. Thomas’ rise to fame peaked during the 2022 NCAA Championships, where she tied with Riley Gaines. The event sparked controversy as Gaines publicly protested against Thomas’ participation.
### Reflections on the Journey and Challenges Faced
After receiving the award on Thursday, Thomas shared emotional reflections on the swimming journey, highlighting the hurdles and harassment faced by transgender individuals. During her speech, she also emphasized the lack of proper support available for transgender youth.
> “It makes me very emotional because I remember all too well not that long ago being 18 and just realizing that I’m trans and feeling so excited at the prospect of being able to be who I am, but feeling so terrified to take those steps because I didn’t know any other trans people. I barely knew what being trans meant,” Thomas said.
She further added,
> “If I had had an organization like that as a kid to give me the knowledge and language to describe my transness, how important that would have been. Because I faced a lot of harassment. I got a lot of messages of violence against me in my Instagram comments and DMs.”
Alongside winning a title at the 2022 NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Championships, Thomas was also nominated for the *NCAA Woman of the Year* award.
### Riley Gaines Criticizes Lia Thomas Receiving the Award
Lia Thomas’ *Voice of Inspiration Award*, sponsored by the Los Angeles Dodgers, drew criticism from fellow swimmer Riley Gaines. Following the event, Gaines took a swipe at the MLB team, stating:
> “Last night Lia Thomas was awarded the ‘Voice of Inspiration’ award at a Dodgers-sponsored event. The only people he’s inspired are other opportunistic men who realized they can violate & steal from women and be celebrated for it.”
The tension between Thomas and Gaines intensified after their tied result at the NCAA Championships, where only Thomas, the transgender athlete, was awarded the trophy — a decision that did not sit well with Gaines.
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*About the Author*
**Janhavi Shinde** is a Sports Management graduate and a US Olympics journalist at Sportskeeda. She emphasizes meticulous research and fact-checking across multiple sources, including social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter, as well as various sports publications.
Janhavi has competed nationally in the 10m Air Rifle Shooting event alongside renowned athletes such as Anjali Bhagwat, Apurvi Chandela, and Anjum Moudgil, fueling her passion for sports. Her favorite Olympian is Abhinav Bindra, and she especially cherishes the gold medal victories of Bindra and Neeraj Chopra for revolutionizing the mindset of Indian athletes toward sporting excellence.
If given the chance to introduce a new sport to the Olympics, Janhavi would choose American Football for its widespread appeal and intense competition. Outside of reporting on Olympic news, she enjoys reading, painting, and traveling.
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*Edited by Janhavi Shinde*
https://www.sportskeeda.com/us/olympics/news-i-faced-lot-harassment-lia-thomas-speaks-challenges-trans-swimmer-honored-voice-inspiration-award
