Imagine waking up every day and feeling like you were in the wrong body.
Imagine the frustration and angst it would cause to know that although you felt like a human being, those around you didn't treat you that way.
Imagine spending a lifetime trying to excel at a sport only to be told that physically you were unable to compete because an unprecedented gender policy forbids your inclusion.
Imagine being the first person ever to challenge that rule and win.
For former tennis player Renee Richards, those scenarios were reality.
As one of the first recognised professional transgendered athletes, Richards made waves and broke down barriers, creating a legacy that would change the face of sports forever.
Although the gay community includes transgendered individuals in their acronym LGBT, they are often the forgotten populace and take a back seat in politics, social reform and sports.
While gay and lesbian people are staking their claim in the sporting world proving that they are just as gifted and talented as their straight counterparts, transgender athletes still face an uphill battle when it comes to acceptance.
One of the most recognised and captivating leaders of that battle was born Richard Raskind in New York City in 1934.
Raskind's father was a successful orthopaedic surgeon, and his mother was one of the first female psychiatrists in the United States, prompting Raskind's interest in medicine, which along with tennis, would be a passion throughout his life.
As a young man growing up, Raskind was a determined athlete and was ranked among the top tennis players on the regional junior level at the age of six.
By the time he was in high school, Raskind had made a name for himself on the amateur circuit and was slated to be the next great tennis sensation.
While he was excelling on the court, it was his personal life that seemed to be in constant conflict, as Richards seemed to suffer from what he described in his book Second Serve as "dual consciousness."
After graduating high school, Raskind attended Yale University before going to medical school at the University of Rochester.
Raskind joined the Navy and was ranked Lieutenant Commander before his discharge.
While abroad in the 1960's, Raskind's longing to live life as a woman continued to grow, and he began taking female hormones and considered sexual reassignment surgery.
On his first attempt, he was unable to go through with the operation, and again repressed his true identity when he came back to the States and started a successful career as an eye surgeon.
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