Lia Thomas is 22-years-old. In March 2022, Thomas became the first openly transgender athlete who won an NCAA Division I national championship in the world of sports, after winning the women's 500-yard freestyle. That effort ultimately ended up 3.76% slower than her best time before her. The media immediately hailed this victory as a record . Teammates of transgender swimmer seek bar from women's... Penn Campus Recreation. West Chester - 113. Check out the latest news from USA Swimming, including interviews and features on National Team members, important updates from the organization, tips for training, and complete coverage from events such as the TYR Pro Swim Series or the Phillips 66 National Championships. Born William Thomas, Lia previously competed for Penn's men's swimming team before coming out as a . 2018-19: Second-team All-Ivy in the 500 free, 1,000 free, and 1,650 free after reaching the 'A' final of the Ivy League Championships and finishing second overall in each of the events. Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer for the University of Pennsylvania, made history on Thursday. 2017-18: Ivy League Championships qualifier in 500 free (A final), 1000 free (A final . Save this story for later. Will Thomas Sets Pool Record While Penn Hosts West Chester Rep. Vicky Hartzler issues Lia Thomas warning with Missouri Senate ad ... January 10, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. EST. Lia Thomas, the 24-year-old University of Pennsylvania athlete swam for the women's team for the first time after having begun hormone replacement treatment (HRT) while still on the men's team in May 2019. Senior swimmer Lia Thomas, formerly known as Will Thomas, reportedly broke multiple school and conference records during a Nov. 20 swim meet against Cornell University and Princeton University. She is now an NCAA top fighter in all of those events if she competes in them at the collegiate championships. Biological Male Lia Thomas Competing in Women Swim Team ... - Townhall Penn swimmer Lia Thomas won the women's 500-yard freestyle championship on Thursday to become the first transgender NCAA champion in Division I history. Penn's Lia Thomas competes during a swim meet against . Mar 18, 2019 at 12:42 pm ET • 1 min read. USA TODAY Sports Thomas — who swam as a male under the name William Thomas for three years before transitioning — has stoked controversy with critics, including her own teammates, who say she has. He committed to swim at Ivy League member Penn after his high school career. A joke was told in Atlanta . About 50 protesters and counter-protesters converged outside the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center where Thomas swam.