An update on our 2016 story about Harvard swimmer Schuyler Bailar
60 Minutes first reported on Schuyler Bailar, an elite Harvard swimmer, in 2016. As correspondent Lesley Stahl reported at the time, Bailar transitioned right before his freshman year. Originally recruited as a breaststroker for the women's swimming team, Bailar ended up swimming on the men's team and did so for all four years he attended Harvard.
Schuyler Bailar was the first-ever transgender person to play on an NCAA Division One men's team. After expressing concerns about finishing last in every race in 2016, Bailar ended his swimming career at Harvard in the top 13% in the country in the men's breaststroke.
Since leaving Harvard, Bailar has become an activist for transgender rights, traveling around the country and speaking about his personal experiences. He told Lesley Stahl recently that he's conducted over 700 mentoring sessions. He's also written his first novel, to be released this fall, about a young transgender person.
Today, Schuyler Bailar says if he hadn't transitioned, he may not be alive today. "Transitioning saved my life," he told Lesley Stahl.
Photos courtesy of Gregor Bailar, Schuyler Bailar, Sydney Claire Photography and Beth Barbis/Robert Morris University
