First Trans Athlete to Win NCAA D1 Championship
Lia Thomas Biography
Lia Thomas holds a unique position in the world of collegiate sports. Originally from Austin, Texas, Thomas began her swimming journey at age five, demonstrating an innate aptitude for the sport. Her passion for swimming continued into her academic years, leading her to join the men's swim team at the University of Pennsylvania in 2017. In the following years, Thomas significantly impacted events such as the 1,000-yard freestyle, 500-yard freestyle, and 1,650-yard freestyle, with her performance ranking within the national top 100.
In May 2019, Thomas began transitioning using hormone replacement therapy and came out as a trans woman during her junior year. Despite losing muscle mass and strength through testosterone suppression, Thomas significantly improved her swimming performance. Her success in distance swimming was particularly noteworthy during the 2021-22 season, and she ranked fifth in the 200 freestyle, first in the 500 freestyle, and eighth in the 1650 freestyle when competing on the women's team. Thomas' dedication and resilience made her the first openly transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship in any sport by winning the women's 500-yard freestyle in March 2022.
Thomas' achievement sparked a public debate about transgender women in women's sports, in which she became a central figure. Despite facing scrutiny and backlash, Thomas received support from various corners of the swimming community, including her teammates and Olympic medalists. Her story has been featured in numerous news articles and interviews, highlighting her journey as a transgender swimmer. Aiming to broaden her impact beyond swimming, Thomas aspires to attend law school and pursue a career as a civil rights attorney, continuing her advocacy for inclusion and equality.
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Lia Thomas Speaking Topics
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The Lia Thomas Story
Lia Thomas shares her experiences as an openly transgender athlete. She recounts her story from childhood, to discovering her trans identity, to finally her career as a swimmer. She shares the difficulties and joys of her life and journey and how they fit into the unique challenge of grappling with both trans and athletic identity. In doing so, she illuminates the human aspect of trans inclusion in sports.
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Transgender Athletic Policy and The Importance of Inclusion
Lia Thomas discusses the impact of trans exclusionary policies in athletics and how barriers to inclusion are harmful to all.
Lia Thomas Videos
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Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Lia Thomas for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Lia Thomas, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Lia Thomas or any other speaker of your choice. -
What are the speaker fees for Lia Thomas
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What topics does Lia Thomas speak about?
Lia Thomas is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Athlete, Civil Rights, College, DEI, Diversity & Inclusion, LGBTQ, Mental Health, Olympic Athlete, Social Activism, Social Justice, Sports, Swimming & Diving -
Where does Lia Thomas travel from?
Lia Thomas generally travels from an undisclosed location, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent. -
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Lia Thomas is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as The Lia Thomas Story and Transgender Athletic Policy and The Importance of Inclusion. The estimated speaking fee range to book Lia Thomas for your event is available upon request. Lia Thomas generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Greg Louganis, Schuyler Bailar, R.K. Russell, Samy Nemir Olivares and Munroe Bergdorf. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Lia Thomas for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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