Everyone knows that “swoosh” symbol. Whether you play sports or just see it on the shoes of someone walking by you, Nike athleticwear is something that is common and easily recognized by society. Nike is also known for being a company that holds several sponsorships with famous athletes, colleges and sports teams. This even include Olympic teams.

During the 2016 Olympics, a commercial for Nike aired and brought focus to a determined athlete. In this commercial, he is seen biking, training and running. He is known to compete in triathlons and was recently accepted onto the Men’s U.S. National Team for the sprint duathlon, a mix of running and biking, which sadly, isn’t an Olympics sport. This athlete’s name is Chris Mosier. He is a determined, brave and hard working athlete.

However, Nike’s sponsorship for this athlete is eye-opening and groundbreaking. This is due to the fact that Mosier is transgender. He is a female-to-male transgender individual who is paving the way for trans athletes to compete in the gender specific area they identify with. Nike’s commercial brings attention to some of the questions and concerns that come with being a trans athlete. Questions such as, “How’d you know they would accept you?” or “How’d you know they would let you compete?” All of which, Mosier answered with “I didn’t."

There is often a stigma that comes with being transgender; a stigma that you will never amount to the things that someone who is cisgender can do. There are constant questions of whether or not someone who is transgender can meet the same physical standards, health milestones, and be able to match endurance and skill with their competitors. Mosier is proving to all of them that it doesn’t matter how you were born; all you need is dedication and hard work and you can accomplish even the toughest goals. Those around you may put you down, telling you that you aren’t good enough and that you won’t succeed, but it is up to you to push yourself and to win.

Mosier and his appearance in this commercial is also helping show young transgender individuals that sports are still an option. It is common that a trans individual usually has to chose- transition or play sports. Mosier is showing that you don’t have to chose. He is becoming a recognized role model, not just for trans youth, but for anyone who is determined to push past stigmas and obstacles in order to succeed. It is amazing that Nike is choosing to stand by his side and bring him into the spotlight, because having Nike’s support helps show that if a widely known, and loved, athletic company can respect the skills of an athlete that is trans, than everyone else can take a step back and learn to support those who are a little different from what society deems as “normal”. Hopefully, with the help of this commercial, and continual influence from positive trans role models, we will begin to see more support and encouragement for transgender athletes, and maybe even see someone represent the U.S. in the olympics next time around, proving that you don’t have to be born a certain way in order to “bring home the gold”.