Anna Turaeva, a Russian multi-champion weightlifter, reported having gone through a deeply humiliating moment while trying to board a flight to Krasnodar. 😞
The athlete explained that, due to the physical demands of her discipline, she decided to have her breasts removed in order to compete more comfortably. However, that did not change the fact that she is still a woman.
Even though her passport indicated it clearly, security staff from the airline Utair doubted her identity because of her physical appearance and began questioning her in front of other passengers.
According to Anna, they even went so far as to ask her questions about her sexual preferences while she tried to explain that the changes in her body were the result of years devoted to bodybuilding and weightlifting.
“It was humiliating. I didn’t want to be rude, but I felt helpless in that situation”, the athlete confessed. She was finally allowed to board the plane, but Anna publicly reported what had happened, forcing the airline to apologize and promise a review of its protocols. 👏🏻