In 2019, the University of Pennsylvania’s swim team informed its female athletes that Lia Thomas, a man formerly known as William Thomas, would be competing alongside them. But the consequences of the university’s decision wouldn’t be limited to unfair competition. Although Thomas’ teammates were told he would use separate locker-room facilities, he was instead allowed to use the same locker-room as the rest of the team, subjecting the all-female group to changing clothes in front of a man. This incident, and the University of Pennsylvania’s intense crackdown on dissent, sparked many of its athletes to come forward and advocate for the future of women’s sports.
Paula Scanlan, a former University of Pennsylvania swimmer and teammate of Thomas, is the latest guest on The Kevin Roberts Show. Inspired by the injustice that she and her fellow Penn teammates suffered, Scanlan now spends her time making sure that the future of women’s sports is safe, and that no one has to go through her experience ever again.
Despite being part of the most pessimistic generation in American history, Scanlan fights to give hope to the millions of girls who use sports to pursue the American dream.
