The transgender question: how to integrate transgender competitors and participants into elite sport and grassroots activity?

Blair Hamilton (she/her) is the lead investigator of the Sporting Performance of Athletes of the Gender Spectrum study at the University of Brighton’s School of Sport and Health Sciences, a lecturer in Exercise and Health at the School of Applied Sciences and an Associate Editor at the BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine. Her primary research interests are the effects of gender-affirmative endocrine care on the athletic performance of Transgender Athletes. Blair's secondary research interests are how bone responds to mechanical stress during exercise and how exercise interventions could improve bone health.

After winning the globally celebrated Netflix series, The Big Flower Fight – Ryan Lanji has undeniably transformed into a London voice and now the breakout star of BBC THREE’s new reality show, ‘The Big Proud Party Agency’ (on BBC iplayer) featured in GQ Style, Vogue India & Another Man.

Since winning the extreme floristry competition Ryan Lanji has set up the new community ‘NDY Global’ (Not Dead Yet) a collective that takes premium gym spaces and transforms them into gender-neutral facilities with verified coaches for Trans, Non-binary and queer people of colour. The sessions received over thousands of attendees during Lockdown II and he now hosts classes in collaboration with Adidas, encouraging the queer community to nourish themselves and build a stronger sense of togetherness and visibility. NDY is proud to be powered by Adidas.

His beliefs in raising awareness and visibility as a Queer South Asian Creative by creating culture, championing creativity, and causing opportunity have made him a natural leader and an active public figure in the LGBTQIA community. After creating HUNGAMA (East London's Alt Bollywood night) he is regularly booked as a Personality and ambassador for brands hosting talks, curating events and exhibitions as well as being infamous for Bollywood infused DJ sets most recently DJ’ing The Tate Modern & South bank centre.

Natalie Washington (she/they) is a transgender woman and campaigner for trans rights, particularly around access to sports & treatment of trans issues by the media. As Campaign Lead for Football v Transphobia, she is working towards greater involvement of trans people in the game at all levels, as well as working internationally on trans inclusion in sports more generally. She's also a footballer for Rushmoor Community FC in the Southern Region Women's Football League, as well as running a network for transgender people in sport in the UK

Erin Williams (they/she) is Sport Programmes Manager at Stonewall. They are also on the Board of European Lacrosse and an EDI Commissioner for World Lacrosse. Erin brings over 25 years’ experience in the sport sector, having previously worked on opportunity and development in university sport. They also have a focus on Performance Pathway sport, from player lived experience through age-group coaching and scholarship management, and currently works with Clubs and Academies across the professional football pyramid on inclusive education. Erin is former international lacrosse player and coach who represented Wales in 3 World Cups and also won 3 European silver medals.