This Nike ad featuring the first openly transgender Olympic athlete has us so inspired

Nike’s “Unlimited Courage” campaign just made a huge step for progress last night, and we are so incredibly thrilled! The company aired a new ad featuring Chris Mosier, a duathlete who began transitioning from female to male in 2010, and who joined the U.S. Olympic team in 2015.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gq8PO9XK2Y?feature=oembed

Getting to the Olympics is an epic challenge in and of itself, and as a member of the transgender community, Mosier has overcome countless additional hurdles. Despite all the advances made in recent years for the LGBTQ community, the reality is it can still be extremely dangerous to express who you truly are.

Mosier didn’t know if he’d be fast enough, didn’t know if he would be socially accepted by his teammates, and didn’t even know if he would be permitted to compete as a man. Yet he continued working towards his dream to be a member of the men’s national team.

In a statement, Mosier said,

“Everything that I’ve done in the last five, six years since I started to transition, has been with [a] ‘Just Do It’ mindset. I didn’t know if I would be competitive against men; I just did it. Every success that I’ve had since then has shown me that anything is really possible. By not stopping myself, not limiting myself and just really going for it, I’ve learned a lot about myself and also had the opportunity to further the conversation on trans inclusion in sports.”

It is so important for trans people to see themselves represented in popular culture, and Mosier’s accomplishments make him the perfect person for a campaign showcasing the unlimited courage it takes for trans men and women to represent themselves on their own terms.

We’re so proud of you, Chris, and so honored you’re representing Team USA this year!

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