Non-binary, gay swimmer Landon Driggers aims for Team U.S.A. at Paris Summer Olympics
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Landon Driggers had envisioned a different junior season with the Vols. After transferring from the Division II University of Indianapolis, U.S.A. to the larger stage of Division I SEC swimming at the University of Tennessee, he had high hopes. However, two seasons post-transfer and his times in the pool had slightly declined. For Driggers, however, his performance times eventually became a secondary concern.
As ‘Out Sports’ write, the past six months for him have been transformative, a journey of self-discovery and self-expression that dramatically improved his life. And he wouldn’t exchange this experience for anything.
“This season, I would consider my performance a bit disappointing,” he said, reflecting on his best finish at last month's 2024 NCAA National Championships, where he placed 25th in the 400 IM. The previous year, he earned Honorable Mention All-American status in the same event, placing 15th with a faster time, and posted higher rankings in the 200 backstroke and 200 IM, breaking a school record in the latter.
Driggers credits the apparent setback in his times to significant personal growth.
Having come out as gay during his senior year of high school, it’s only recently that he has begun presenting more femininely, now identifying as nonbinary.
“I’m growing in my personal life, more than in any other season,” Driggers shared. “That’s more important than swimming. I’m choosing to be authentically me. And I’m more proud of that than anything swimming has brought me.”
Image Credit: Canva
Driggers is choosing personal self-expression over conforming to external expectations.
“A lot of it involves how I express my physical self, how I’m dressing now, my fashion. I’m expressing myself the way I want.”
Up to now, his more feminine self-expression has been mostly in the company of close friends. Among his teammates—diver Bryden Hattie and swimmer Joey Tepper—who are also openly gay, he feels free to be himself.
“Having out gay teammates has been a crucial support system,” Driggers said.
“There's definitely a bond between us,” he added. “Although I’m a transfer student here only for two years, I see Joey and Bryden every day. Talking and sharing stories, it’s nice not to feel alone.”
Driggers also mentioned he drew inspiration from the stories of other LGBTQ+ athletes featured on Outsports.
“I’ve read Outsports stories about being representation in sports,” he said. “I don’t often hear about many athletes being nonbinary and embracing it fully. I’ve gained a lot of confidence from outperforming straight and cis men daily.”
“There is this stereotype that if you're gay or a male presenting femininely, then you can't win. But I'm beating those stereotypes every day.”
While he isn’t the fastest in the national rankings, Driggers’ numerous top-50 finishes at NCAAs across various events showcase his remarkable focus, talent, and dedication.
And certainly, he’s outpacing a lot of cis straight men.
However, with the scoreboards resetting in the next ten weeks, Driggers’ main focus is securing a spot on the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics team. For his favourite event, the 400 IM, he must finish in the top two at the Trials or he won’t make it. Last year, he clinched second place at the U.S.A. National Championships.
“It’s not certain I’ll make the U.S. Olympic team this year, but I’m within striking distance,” he noted.
Every year, Olympic dreams form during the spring and summer. Driggers is in the thick of it. Winning or at least securing a top-two finish at the Trials is imperative.
On the technical front, the switch to “long course” races at the Olympics and Trials, featuring fewer turns and longer laps, could benefit Driggers.
“I prefer the long course because my turns aren’t strong, but my four strokes are very efficient.”
In the individual medley event, which requires swimmers to master all four traditional strokes—free, breast, back, and fly—Driggers excels in backstroke. Yet his odds of making the U.S.A. Olympic team hinge on his proficiency across all four strokes.
As Driggers trains for the Olympic Trials, he continues his mission to bridge divisions by being true to himself.
Competing for a university in the South, he sometimes faces skepticism about his identities. Through his role as a Volunteer and, hopefully, as a U.S.A. representative, he aims to dispel doubts.
Read related myGwork articles here:
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Paris 2024 Olympic Athletes Will Be Allowed to Openly Declare LGBTQ+ Support
Figure Skater Timothy LeDuc Poised To Become First Out Non-Binary Athlete At Winter Olympics
At least 35 LGBTQ+ Athletes Compete in Beijing Winter Olympics
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