Rugby sevens Olympic gold medalist Ellia Green comes out as trans
Former rugby sevens player Ellia Green has come out as a trans man. The Australian retired from the sport last year and has suffered with serious mental health issues since then.
Green made the announcement in a pre-recorded video shown at a summit on ending homophobia and transphobia in sport. The 29-year-old said: “I promised myself that when my rugby career ended, I would continue to live the rest of my life in the identity and the body that I know I am meant to be in.” “I just knew it was going to be the most liberating feeling when I had that surgery and to be in the body I knew I had to be,” he added. “That was a bright spark in my mind during these dark times facing demons, but I knew there was light at the end of the tunnel.” Green continued: “The one thing that did keep me positive is that I had already planned my surgery and treatment towards my transition.
It was something I was counting down the days with my partner.” He won a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Green made history by being the first Olympian to come out as a trans man.
The only other trans or non-binary Olympic gold medallists are Caitlyn Jenner and Canadian football star Quinn, who won gold at the 2020 Tokyo games.
