Schuyler Bailar is the first openly transgender male athlete to compete in a NCAA Division I men’s sport (swimming at Harvard). But he wasn’t always a male athlete. In high school (Georgetown Day School in Washington, DC), Schuyler was a girl with All-American times in the pool. She was recruited by Harvard’s women’s swimming team coach, Stephanie Morawski, in 2013. “She was a very strong breaststroker,” says Morawski.
During Bailar’s junior year in high school, he started to struggle with mental health issues and entered a treatment center for eating disorders. There he first discussed his gender identity aloud. When discharged in 2014, Bailar started his transition. After transitioning during a gap year, the coach of Harvard’s men’s team, Kevin Tyrrell, offered Bailer a spot on the men’s team, allowing Bailar the choice of either team. Lesley Stahl’s interview with Bailar and his coaches will air on 60 Minutes on April 10 at 7pm on CBS.
Bailar in high school
