As transgender athletes continue to make headlines, debate about inclusion in top-level sport has dominated the discourse. But this is just one part of the story. For trans athletes at all levels, sport can be transformative for mental wellbeing. MH met six of them to talk fitness, self-acceptance and what it means to belong.

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Age: 38 Sports: Basketball, football, surfing Winters, originally from Transylvnia, is used to answering questions on his origins (“People ask, ‘Does Transylvnia actually exist?” he laughs).  After ungoing breast removal – ‘or top surgery’ – in 2019, he discovered a love of surfing.

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Age: 29 Sports: Weightlifting, ranching Growing up in the US and inspired by Westerns, Chrzanowski’s first sporting passion was rodeo. After transitioning seven years ago, he feels free to pursue his twin loves of horse riding and weightlifting. His efforts have clearly paid off.

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Age: 34 Sports: Boxing Currently in training for the World Gay Boxing Championships, Essex-born Baker has always dreamed of boxing against other men on the professional stage.

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Age: 40 Sports: Wheelchair rugby league “Before rugby, there was nothing. I didn’t know where to fit in,” Smith has said. Luckily, it turned out he’s pretty good at rugby, playing both union and league before an accident left him partially paralysed in 2018 – the same year he became the first trans person to win the national ‘Prop Star’ Award. Now playing wheelchair rugby, Smith is focused on promoting inclusion with the charity Mermaids.

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Age: 23 Sports: Bodybuilding Price always idolised bodybuilders. Now, having spent half his life as an openly transgender man, he has overcome genetic setbacks to match his iron-pumping heroes. The next step? Competing on the world stage.

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Age: 30 Sports: Taekwondo As a PT and three-time taekwondo gold medalist, Jackson is on a mission to “radically reduce the suicide statistics within the trans community through fitness and a positive mindset.”