Lia Thomas is a swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania. She is also a transgender woman. The latter statement is currently jeopardizing the former.
Thomas started on the men's swim team in 2019, but by the 2021 season, and after starting hormonal replacement therapy, Thomas joined the women's team.
In December of last year, she returned record times in the sport. With this, came controversy. Just after her December success, a Daily Mail article reported on Parents of the University of Pennsylvania Women's Swim Team, who wrote a letter to the school and the National Collegiate Athletic Association, demanding that Thomas not be allowed to compete against other women.
Members of Thomas' team were apparently divided, with some writing in support of her while others spoke out against her participation.