UPenn swimmer breaks silence on sharing locker room with Lia Thomas

Monika Burzynska, a former University of Pennsylvania swimmer, recently opened up about her experience being on the same team as Lia Thomas, a transgender athlete who joined the women’s swim team in 2021. Burzynska, who previously knew Thomas as Will Thomas, described feeling uncomfortable and out of place when Thomas transitioned to join the women’s team.

Burzynska recalled being assigned the locker next to Thomas and feeling the need to change in the stalls or in the family locker across the hall to avoid being seen by the transgender athlete. She shared that she often felt the need to time her changing to coincide with when Thomas was showering, in order to protect her own privacy.

Despite growing up in a liberal environment in New Jersey, Burzynska explained that being on a team with Thomas shifted her perspective on transgender issues. She expressed sympathy for Thomas, recognizing the struggles of feeling trapped in the wrong body, but also voiced concerns about fairness in women’s sports.

Burzynska revealed that she and other female swimmers on the team were pressured into silence and submission by UPenn administrators, who allegedly warned them of the consequences of speaking out against Thomas publicly. Despite growing up with conservative values, Burzynska was prepared for the backlash of expressing her concerns in a liberal setting.

Burzynska shared her frustrations with her head coach, Mike Schnur, who acknowledged her concerns but ultimately did not take any action to address them. She also described the counseling sessions that the women’s swimmers were encouraged to attend as “brainwashing meetings,” but chose not to participate in them.

Looking back on the situation, Burzynska acknowledged that it had caused her trauma but expressed gratitude for the steps taken by the Trump administration to investigate and address the issue at UPenn. She emphasized the importance of protecting women’s rights and the integrity of women’s sports.

As Burzynska has moved on from the situation and embraced her life and career beyond it, she hopes that her story will shed light on the challenges and complexities of transgender inclusion in sports. She believes that it is crucial to have open and honest conversations about these issues in order to ensure fairness and equality for all athletes.