Quinn from Toronto is the first openly transgender & non-binary Olympian to win a medal

Another Canadian athlete has made history at this year’s Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Team Canada midfielder Quinn is the first openly transgender and non-binary identifying athlete to win an Olympic medal after the women’s team beat Sweden in the soccer final on Friday. The team fought their way to a penalty kick shootout and 20-year-old Julia Grosso took it home for Canada with a 3-2 victory on penalty kicks (after a 1-1 tie).

Quinn made Olympic history simply by competing in this year’s games as an openly trans athlete, which gave the soccer player mixed emotions.

“First openly trans Olympian to compete. I don’t know how to feel. I feel proud seeing ‘Quinn’ up on the lineup and on my accreditation.  I feel sad knowing there were Olympians before me unable to live their truth because of the world. I feel optimistic for change. Change in legislature. Changes in rules, structures and mindsets,” said Quinn on Instagram after the team’s opening match.

“Mostly, I feel aware of the realities. Trans girls being banned from sports. Trans women facing discrimination and bias while trying to pursue their Olympic dreams. The fight isn’t close to over… and I’ll celebrate when we’re all here.”

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Quinn, who goes by just one name and came out last September, told CBC Sports that they’ve been “getting messages from young people saying they’ve never seen a trans person in sports before.”

“Coming out is HARD ( and kinda bs). I know for me it’s something I’ll be doing over again for the rest of my life. As I’ve lived as an openly trans person with the people I love most for many years, I did always wonder when I’d come out publicly,” Quinn wrote on Instagram at the time.

“I want to be visible to queer folks who don’t see people like them on their feed. I know it saved my life years ago.”