23 March 2023 , 12:46
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A trans athlete who made history by winning a women's cycling race has admitted she feels like a "superhero".
Tiffany Thomas, 46, had only taken up cycling in 2018 when she came first place at the Randall's Island Crit cycling race after beating her competitors to the top spot.
The cyclist, who was born male, recently beat a 32-year-old competitor during a recent LA cycling team sweat.
She took to Instagram to celebrate her most recent win and said it "was a great day to play bikes with friends."
She wrote: "Last race with our 2022 LA Sweat team kit. I’m not going to lie, sometimes it made me feel like a superhero when I wore it."
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Ms Thomas works as a lab director and admitted she's "a scientist by day, athlete by night".
She made history by winning the race (tiffany.a.thomas/Instagram)
Ms Thomas won first place at a female race in New York City (tiffany.a.thomas/Instagram)Her LA Sweat team profile states: "You will never see anyone with a bigger smile than when she sees a beautiful electron microscopy picture of a red cell.
"She has never met a barbell, a bike, or a dog that she doesn’t like. She is so incredibly excited to race and represent the LA Sweat team this year!"
Some states in the US have banned transgender women from competing in female sports amid concerns they have an unfair advantage.
There have been a few studies in the US which claim trans women have an unfair advantage over their competitors - even after transitioning.
The contentious subject raised its head back in 2022 when trans swimmer Lisa Thomas became an NCAA swimming champion.
She rose through the ranks after taking up the sport at aged 40 - and came fifth in her first ever event.
Ms Thomas was convinced by a friend to join the "women's development race" but she "sucked at it".
However, after coming so near this led to think "I really want to do this" and she came second in the Doylestown Health Women's pro in Pennsylvania in 2021.
She later won the women’s 500-yard freestyle in March.
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But the swimming’s world governing body FINA soon voted to restrict the participation of transgender athletes in elite women’s competitions amid concerns from fellow athletes.