‘BEING SELFISH': Transgender cyclist wins race to prove males are physically superior
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A transgender cyclist in South Korea competed in a female race and won.
That’s nothing new but Na Hwa-rin, 37, didn’t do it to prove she had what it takes, or to win in the name of the trans community.
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‘BEING SELFISH': Transgender cyclist wins race to prove males are physically superior Back to video
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Rather, she did it to prove males are physically superior to biological female riders.
Na transitioned in 2022 and is now legally recognized as a woman by the South Korean government.
She has always had a passion for cycle racing and that carried on in June when she won the Gangwon Sports Festival.
But she set out to win to prove that competitive cycling needs a third category in its races.
“I have no unresolved feelings over winning because that’s no longer what I want,” Na told the Korea Times. “My goal was to stir controversy and get my story heard by competing.”
She said the victory left her feeling “more relieved” than anything else.
“I am not proud of myself at all,” she told the publication. “I believe other transgender athletes would feel the same way. They may not want to admit it, but they’re being selfish. There is no honour as an athlete in that.”
Na believes athletic committees should include a “third gender” for trans athletes.
“It could be like how we have many weight divisions in some sports,” she explained, adding that if the bar is lowered, more people will compete.
“The room will quickly fill up if we allow more people to compete in sports and let them live their dreams,” she said.
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“Under the current binary system, women athletes will be discouraged, and their hard work might not be recognized due to the participation of transgender athletes,” she continued.
“Trans woman athletes, no matter how hard they worked, will never be truly honoured for their wins,” Na explained.
“Honour is the goal that all athletes aspire to attain, but this is a situation where nobody will be honoured,” she added. “I think that shouldn’t happen.”
Na’s latest win meant she qualified to compete in the National Sports Festival – but she turned it down.
“I don’t want to make an issue to the point where I harm other people.”
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