Transgender Athlete Going for the Gold for the Olympics

CeCe Telfer, a transgender athlete is going after her plans to participate in the Olympics and qualifying for the U.S. trials, and then race in the 400-meter hurdles, Black Enterprise reported. Telfer has to run the race in 56.5 seconds; her best time time was 57.5 seconds, according to the article.

The New York Times featured Telfer, who was on the receiving end of death threats on social media, once slept in her vehicle, missed meals and struggled to find a supportive training coach on her path of her dream, is getting some shine now.

The steadfast 26-year-old is making history already, according to the story. A couple years ago, she was the first openly transgender woman to win an NCAA title when she was fifth-year senior at Division II Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire.

Olympic historians noted that athletes at the Winter or Summer Games have not openly identified themselves as transgender when competing, according to the article. Telfer told The Times that making Tokyo is “important for me to do it for my people— whether it be women, Black people, transgender people, L.G.B.T.Q. people—anybody who is scrutinized and oppressed.”

Telfer’s website here shows that the sprinter was born in Jamaica but raised in Canada.