For Schuyler Bailar, swimming was already a major part of life long before he made history.
But his journey through college sports would eventually become about much more than winning races.
Bailar became the first openly transgender athlete to compete on an NCAA Division I men's team when he joined Harvard University's men's swimming and diving team. His experience later gave him an opportunity to speak publicly about perseverance, authenticity and making space for other trans people.
Making History at Harvard
Bailar had originally been recruited to swim for Harvard's women's team.
During a gap year before beginning college, he came to understand himself as transgender. That realization presented a difficult question: what would transitioning mean for the swimming career he had worked so hard to build?
Harvard ultimately gave Bailar the opportunity to choose which team he wanted to join.
He chose the men's team.
That decision made history.
Instead of walking away from competitive swimming, Bailar entered a new chapter of his athletic career and became an important example of trans visibility in college sports.
Sharing His Story on the TEDx Stage
In 2018, Bailar brought his experience to TEDxJHU in a talk titled “My story of perseverance as a trans swimming champion.”
He spoke about coming out, acceptance and the challenges that continued even after he began living openly as himself.
His message was not simply about being transgender or being an athlete. It was about continuing through difficult moments.
That lesson came from many parts of his life, including demanding swim practices, injuries and conversations with family members about his identity.
Through those experiences, perseverance became something Bailar could share with other people.
Turning Visibility Into Education
After graduating from Harvard in 2019, Bailar continued speaking publicly.
His work expanded into education and advocacy, particularly around transgender inclusion.
He has spoken at schools, businesses and organizations and has used his own experiences to help people better understand transgender identities.
Bailar also became an author. His middle-grade novel “Obie Is Man Enough” was published in 2021.
He later created LaneChanger, an educational platform designed to make learning about gender and transgender inclusion more accessible.
Giving the Next Generation Someone to See
One of the most powerful parts of Bailar's story is his desire to make things easier for people coming after him.
When he was trying to understand whether a transgender athlete could compete at a high level while living openly, there were very few examples for him to find.
By becoming visible himself, Bailar helped change that.
Today, a young trans person searching online for transgender athletes can find someone who competed at Harvard, made NCAA history and continued building a career as an educator, author and advocate.
That makes his story more than a sports achievement.
It is a story about what can happen when someone is given the opportunity to participate, grow and succeed as themselves.
Watch Schuyler Bailar Tell His Story
In his TEDx talk, Bailar tells this story in his own words and explains what perseverance has meant throughout his life.
His journey offers a positive message not only for trans people, but for anyone facing a difficult decision about becoming more fully themselves.