Transgender Day of Visibility 2022

Transgender Day of Visibility is a day of celebration and admiration for the resilience and achievements of transgender people. At Hydrow, we are committed to making the sport of rowing more inclusive and accessible. Trans athletes exist and trans athletes deserve to participate in the sports they are passionate about. 

Trans athletes are increasingly making waves in the rowing community. In the spirit of celebrating and uplifting, we want to highlight three amazing trans athletes shaping the future of the rowing community: Cillian Mullen (he/they), Liam Miranda (he/him), and Ryan Lavigne (she/her).

- In 2021, Cillian Mullen became the first out transgender rower to compete for the United States as a member of the Under 19 (U19) National Team. Cillian originally came out as trans to his teammates on the Chicago Rowing Foundation team and noted the shift in boathouse culture, as his teammates and coaches were accepting and willing to learn. Cillian’s skill and dedication helped lead his team to win the eight in the 2021 Midwest Junior Championship, finish third in the eight at the 2021 USRowing Youth National Championship, and finish fourth in the four at the 2021 World Junior Rowing Championships. 

- Liam Miranda is a transgender former Division I rower at Duke University who has dedicated himself to advocating for social inclusion in rowing and athletics. At Duke, Liam worked with the non-profit organization Athlete Ally to foster LGBTQ+ inclusivity within the Duke Athletic Program. He continues his work at the sports impact organization The Inclusion Playbook as a researcher and training director, where his role ranges from assessing LGBTQ+ public health campaigns to measuring and improving diversity and equity in nonprofit leadership. Liam’s dedication to his peers and those who follow in his footsteps illustrates the resilience of the trans community.

- Ryan Lavigne is a transgender former Division III rower at Lewis & Clark College. In 2017, Ryan helped the women’s team place third in the Northwest Conference, sitting in the 5th seat in the 1V8 boat. As a junior, she was selected to the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Division III Pocock All-America Second Team and the All-Northwest Conference First Team. In addition to her prolific rowing legacy, Ryan’s legacy also includes championing trans visibility by showing up and competing as her authentic self.

Cillian, Liam, and Ryan are just three of countless trans athletes and trans people fighting and existing in a world that tries to make them invisible. Today, we celebrate and amplify their stories. We remain committed to creating and maintaining a community that is inclusive and supportive of all its members, where everyone feels empowered to be their authentic selves. 

Looking for a great workout to honor Transgender Day of Visibility? Join Mike Dostal (he/him) in his “Living Authentically” row to honor and celebrate the transgender community. Available in the on-demand library on March 31st.