SPORTS
ILLUSTRATED
SI.COM
APRIL 2022
69Less than two weeks after USA Swimming issued
its guidelines, the NCAA seemingly cleared the way
for Thomas to swim. Citing “unfair and potentially
detrimental impacts” of such a late-term rule change, an
NCAA subcommittee recommended delaying a decision
on whether to implement USA Swimming’s guidelines.
The announcement was a relief for Thomas, her family
and her friends. It also left them even more adamant
about blocking out the negativity they knew would grow
as the NCAA championships approached. “You can
engage in [negativity] and let it dominate your thinking,
or you can be a positive force,” Bob Thomas says. “You
can’t take on that water, or else you’ll sink.”B
EING TRANS, THOMAS says, is “an amazing and beautiful
experience....I’ve been reinvigorated. I’ve been
swimming for 17 years, but for [only] a short part
of that time have I felt fully engaged.” She is forever
grateful for the kindness people closest to her showed
during such a stressful time. She says she continues to
appreciate the support of those people, how that love
gives her hope for the life she’ll someday make for herself.
“After coming out and being my authentic self, I could
really start to see a future,” she says. “Before I came out,
I couldn’t visualize a future.”
She’s applied to law school. The past three years made
her see all the ways she might help other people, and
she’s thinking about civil rights law, where she can
advocate for others who are marginalized and need to
know they’re not alone.
Thomas wants to continue training through law
school. Swimming at the 2024 Olympic trials is still
a goal. If she meets the criteria to continue swimming
in the women’s category, USA Swimming officials tellSI, they’ll have no issue with Thomas representing the
United States in Paris.
On the first evening of the Ivy League champion-
ships in February, at Harvard’s Blodgett Pool, Thomas
is part of the Penn quartet that places third in the
800-yard freestyle relay. On the second night she
takes down Olympian Kate Ziegler’s pool record in
the 500-yard freestyle. It’s a good swim—4:37.12, about
three seconds off her season best—and among the top
times so far among conference championships across
the country.
On Day 3, Thomas sets a pool and Ivy League
record in the 200-yard freestyle. On the fourth dayof the meet, Harvard’s video board f lashes Thomas’s
new pool records as she qualifies for the final in the
100-yard freestyle.
Later that night, fans clap when Thomas is introduced.
Her parents and brother watch from the top row. Bob
balances his rear end on the back of his seat. Carrie
stands and clasps her hands, as if in prayer.
There’s a beep, and the eight swimmers are off. Less
than a minute later, Thomas has another pool and meet
record. She raises an index finger skyward.
Later, Bob and Carrie wrap their daughter in hugs
inside the lobby of a building next door. They chat for
15 minutes, but Thomas has to go. In 90 minutes she’ll
swim the 400-yard freestyle relay—the last event of
the championships.
Penn’s coaching staff has put Thomas as the first
swimmer in the relay, a break from the usual practice of
the team’s fastest swimming anchor. In the sixth lane,
Thomas takes off from the block, drives to the first wall
and flips, building an immediate quarter-length lead
over Yale, two lanes away. The lead holds. After the third
pass, a half-body-length lead suddenly expands to a full
body. Thomas touches the wall in 48.14, about a half
second slower than her 100-yard swim two hours earlier.
A teammate dives in overhead. Thomas pulls herself
out of the water. Her chest heaves as she gasps for air.
The rest of the Penn team doesn’t disappoint. Thomas’s
nearly second-and-a-half lead is maintained in the sec-
ond leg, then pulls back to a little under a second with
the third. The pool vibrates with shrieking parents.
Penn’s Camryn Carter increases the lead on the final
leg and touches in at 3:17.80. Another pool record.
Penn swimmers lining the pool deck are screaming
and jumping and hugging. A few begin to cry. Schnurputs his hands to his face, in disbelief. The Quakers fin-
ish the championship in third place for the first time in
the 45-year history of the Ivy championships, just two
points behind Yale for second. The 400-relay win is the
first in team history.
A relay teammate mock-punches Thomas in the arm.
Thomas high-fives the other women on her relay. As
she stands behind the starting block, she turns toward
the rest of her screaming, cheering teammates. Thomas
extends her arms into the air. She pumps her fists
and laughs.
And for one joyous moment, Lia Thomas’s story is
just about swimming.BEING TRANS IS “AN AMAZING AND BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE....
I’VE BEEN SWIMMING FOR 17 YEARS, BUT FOR [ONLY] ASHORT PART OF THAT TIME HAVE I FELT FULLY ENGAGED.”