Amelia Gapin has just become the first transgender woman to be featured on the cover of Women's Running magazine.
For Gapin, a passionate distance runner and the cofounder of MyTransHealth, being on the cover of Women's Running is a testament to what the sport meant to her throughout her transition. "Running helped me get through the mental and emotional struggles I went through while I was transitioning," Gapin tells People. "I was able to clear my head and approach things from a much better perspective." "[Running] gave me a place to work through all of the external things, like dealing with other people, and how to approach coming out to people and how to explain," she says. "And when conversations didn't go well — I lost friends because of it — running was a nice outlet for getting out some of that frustration." Beyond the cover's deeply personal meaning for Gapin, the runner also notes that she hopes it will make an impact for transgender women everywhere. "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," she says in the issue. "It’s a feeling of acceptance, inclusivity, and being welcomed." Though Gapin isn't the only transgender woman to have graced the cover of a major magazine, her feature is notable for increasing the visibility of trans women in sports. "It’s important for Women’s Running to show that there is not one definition of what a runner’s body should be," the magazine's editor-in-chief, Jessica Sebor, said in a press release. "We are so grateful to Amelia for gracing the cover of our Body Issue. She is brave, beautiful, and wholly herself." Gapin's July cover issue hits newsstands on June 14.
For Gapin, a passionate distance runner and the cofounder of MyTransHealth, being on the cover of Women's Running is a testament to what the sport meant to her throughout her transition. "Running helped me get through the mental and emotional struggles I went through while I was transitioning," Gapin tells People. "I was able to clear my head and approach things from a much better perspective." "[Running] gave me a place to work through all of the external things, like dealing with other people, and how to approach coming out to people and how to explain," she says. "And when conversations didn't go well — I lost friends because of it — running was a nice outlet for getting out some of that frustration." Beyond the cover's deeply personal meaning for Gapin, the runner also notes that she hopes it will make an impact for transgender women everywhere. "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," she says in the issue. "It’s a feeling of acceptance, inclusivity, and being welcomed." Though Gapin isn't the only transgender woman to have graced the cover of a major magazine, her feature is notable for increasing the visibility of trans women in sports. "It’s important for Women’s Running to show that there is not one definition of what a runner’s body should be," the magazine's editor-in-chief, Jessica Sebor, said in a press release. "We are so grateful to Amelia for gracing the cover of our Body Issue. She is brave, beautiful, and wholly herself." Gapin's July cover issue hits newsstands on June 14.