Laurel Hubbard's selection for the NZ Olympic weightlifting team to Tokyo has sparked debate across the world, but has won the support of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
While some are questioning whether Hubbard has an unfair advantage, the transgender community says her selection will make a huge difference for young women too scared to give sport a go.
Five Kiwi weightlifters have been selected for the Olympics, but the woman the sporting world is talking about was nowhere to be seen at the announcement.
The world's first transgender Olympian instead kept well out of the global media's glare. Unlike the other four athletes selected, the NZ Olympic Committee says she isn't available to interview.
But others in the transgender community are more than happy to speak out for her.
"It's important for the transgender community, just like any group, to have leaders and role models, so I'm so proud of her for being such a trailblazer," says Waikato University senior lecturer of psychology Jaimie Veale.
"Laurel has qualified in so many ways to compete against the Olympic Committee guidelines and against the odds of a career-threatening injury."
Kiwi-born and now Canada-based Kristen Worley was the first transgender athlete to go through gender testing for the International Olympic Committee, but wasn't picked for Athens 2004 as a cyclist.
She says the controversy is completely misplaced.
"This isn't an issue about fairness, because first of all, sport isn't fair."
Worley now works with the IOC and says Hubbard has no physical edge over her competitors - in fact, it's the opposite.
"She's been disadvantaged, because she's a transitioned athlete - she's not a transgender athlete - she's a transitioned athlete, it's a very different physiology."
Hubbard complies with all conditions put in place by the IOC, but some have questioned if she has a psychological advantage, after previously lifting heavier weights as a man.
In 2017, Hubbard told Newshub she was on an equal footing with her competitors.
"I think it's incredibly disrespectful to the other athletes," she said. "I don't believe there's any fundamental difference between me and the other competitors, and it's slightly demeaning towards them."
Today, PM Ardern defended Hubbard's selection.
"All the parties here have simply followed the rules and that's the case for Laurel, but also the team in New Zealand."
And Sports Minister Grant Robertson says we should all be proud she's in the team.
"She's met the qualification criteria, she deserves to be there and we'll be supporting her."
For years, Hubbard says she has had to deal with unwanted distractions.
"I think, as an athlete, you have to try and shut it out, because it just adds weight to the barbell."
She's stood up to everything life and sport has thrown at her so far - one of the reasons she's favoured to make further history and bring a medal back home.
