Meet the first transgender woman to rock the front of "Women’s Running" magazine.
Amelia Gapin, a seven-time marathon finisher from Jersey City, won the fitness glossy’s cover search contest for its July “2016 Body Issue” hitting stands Tuesday.
“Being a transgender woman on the cover of a magazine dedicated to women says people like me are not just being seen, but being seen for who we are,” Gapin told the magazine. “It’s a feeling of acceptance, inclusivity and being welcomed.”
Editor-in-Chief Jessica Sebor added in a statement that, “It’s important for Women’s Running to show that there is not one definition of what a runner’s body should be. We are so grateful to Amelia for gracing the cover of our Body Issue. She is brave, beautiful and wholly herself.”
The software engineer and founder of MyTransHealth, an online startup connecting patients with trans-friendly physicians, was snapped after a chilly sunrise run along the Brooklyn Bridge for her groundbreaking cover shot in May. The landmark path is one of her favorite running spots in the city, along with Jersey’s Liberty State Park and its views of lower Manhattan, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.
“Running is the only time I can clear my head and escape from the world,” she said. “And let’s not forget being able to enjoy more of the three B’s — beers, burgers and burritos!”
The special issue also explores the hurdles transgender runners face to compete in the sport, such as the physical, emotional and mental impact of hormone replacement therapy or reassignment surgery. And in order for transgender runners to compete under their gender, USA Track & Field requires athletes to have been on hormone replacement therapy for two years or longer, as well as to have undergone gender confirmation surgery and legally changed their gender.
Gapin has been on hormones for three years. She was on the fence about surgery, but finally decided to undergo the procedure because of USATF rules. “My big goal is to qualify for the Boston Marathon, and I can’t qualify for it as a woman without having surgery,” she said.
She dragged her feet a bit about putting herself in the public eye, but ultimately decided it was important to share her story to encourage other women — and men — to hit the ground running and be themselves.
“I think a lot of times people get pigeonholed into being just one thing, especially when they’re a vocal advocate for that thing,” she said. “But I’m more than just a trans person. I’m an engineer, a startup co-founder, a wife, a nerd, a feminist and a thousand other things too.”
The July issue of Women’s Running is available on newsstands nationwide.
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