Sandra decided to transition 18 months ago after feeling like she was ‘living inside a prison’ (Picture: Facebook)
A French Olympic medallist has come out as transgender.
Sandra Forgues was part of France’s Gold winning kayaking team in 1996 in Atlanta and then won Bronze in Barcelona.
She also won world championships in 1991 and 1997 and dominated the sport in that decade.
But Sandra, now 48, has revealed that she transitioned a year-and-a-half ago.
Olympic medallist comes out as Transgender
Posted by Sandra Forgues on Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Speaking to L’Equipe, Sandra said: ‘Until then, I had a really successful social, family and professional life. I was engaged in a billion things.
‘But my intimate life was in a prison. I always thought it would be one or the other.’
Sandra joins the likes of Caitlyn Jenner in a slow list of athletes that have come as trans.
Number of athletes that have come out as trans growing
Laurel Hubbard at a Melbourne weightlifting competition
Trans weightlifter Laurel Hubbard sparked renewed conversations over transgender people competing at sports highest levels this week when she won a major tournament in Australia.
New Zealander Hubbard, 39, who previously competed in the men’s competition before transitioning in her mid-30s, took part in the over-90kg division at the Australian International in Melbourne in March last year.
In her first major competition, she lifted over 268kg in the ‘clean snatch and jerk’ – 19kg heavier than her nearest opponent.
