A non-binary individual who claimed running “never really stuck” until they underwent top surgery and felt “euphoric” ever since, is hoping to inspire others who don’t “quite fit the box” to embrace the sport.
Emma Stevenson, 30, a university photography technician who uses the gender neutral pronouns they/them, explained it wasn’t until they spent £10,500 on private top surgery – a procedure which according to the NHS removes the breast tissue while reshaping the chest to align it with the patient’s gender identity – at 27 that their relationship with their body transformed and they “began to resonate” with running.
They joined an LGBTQ+ social group called Queer Running Club which led to entering the 10km event Transcend – “Hackney’s first ever queer and trans only running and walking event”, according to their website – and are now preparing for the HOKA Hackney Half Marathon on Sunday 17 May.
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Better known as Em and originally from Oxford but now based in London, they told PA Real Life: “Looking back to pre-top surgery, I never thought that I would have run like this, enjoyed that experience, and found community.
“I think that’s one of the great things about Queer Running Club. It’s bringing like-minded people together and making a community out of it,” they added.
Em said they always felt “different” from their peers, before coming out as bisexual at 18 and subsequently as non-binary in their early twenties. The latter refers to someone who understands their gender in a way that extends beyond simply identifying as either a man or woman, according to the LGBT Foundation.
“There’s lots of steps of coming out,” Em said. “Family and friends were pretty open, so it wasn’t a huge deal. It’s just getting used to a different perspective than they might have.”
‘There was always an obstacle in the way – I think it was my relationship with my body’
Throughout the years, Em said they “tried to pick up running a fair few times” but it “never really stuck”.
They added: “There was always an obstacle in the way and I think it was my relationship with my body that I didn’t really enjoy. I also think a lot of the reason why I started running pre-transition was due to body image and wanting to change the way it looked through exercise.
“But I needed to change my body in a different way first to really resonate with that kind of exercise.”
Em said they didn’t feel hormones were the right path for them, but they “sat with it for a while”, before ultimately concluding that surgery was the “right decision”.
In March 2021, Em was referred by their GP and placed on an NHS waiting list for top surgery. According to national advocacy group TransActual, waiting times for an initial appointment at a gender clinic can stretch to as long as eight years on the NHS, with patients facing a further year’s wait for a consultation.
After years on the waiting list, Em said they were “lucky enough to be in the financial position” to pursue the surgery privately. Em said: “I had to weigh up the financial cost with my mental and physical health and wellbeing to realise that it is worth doing. It was a huge mental load. I was spending about £10,500… but once I made that decision, it was a big turning point.”
‘I’ve been euphoric ever since’
Em underwent surgery in September 2023 at the age of 27, describing the experience as “groundbreaking” for them.
“It’s quite a big surgery so it was quite anxiety-inducing,” they said. “It took me a little while to come to terms with that big change. At first it was a shock and seeing a different body felt strange but it was definitely the right decision and as I recovered and got used to it, I’ve been euphoric ever since.”
Em took six weeks off work, remaining in “good spirits” throughout while “waiting for the body to heal”.
“Every day, I could look at myself in the mirror and I wasn’t averting my eyes any more,” they added. “Top surgery was really groundbreaking for me. It changed the whole way of seeing myself and interacting with my body.”
Gradually, Em returned to weightlifting at the gym, a pursuit they had taken up since 2021 through a non-binary and trans-inclusive group called Pecs Education. It was through the group’s co-founder, Kole Fulmine, who also established Queer Running Club, that Em took up running in early 2025.
Shortly afterwards, Em discovered Transcend and enrolled on a 16-week beginners’ training programme in March called Transcenders, which proved to be their “real push into” running as it provided a “good goal to work towards”.
Reflecting on the 10km run in July 2025, Em said: “The whole event was really lovely. I felt a little bit nervous beforehand just because I hadn’t done anything like that before, but it had really good vibes, good music, and lots of people cheering us on round the track.
“I ran most of the way with someone who was at the training programme as well, so that was really nice. It felt great completing that and there was a whole little festival party afterwards with some drag performers, music, and competitions.”
In December 2025, Em spotted an email from Queer Running Club offering free places for the Hackney Half Marathon, prompting them to think: “If there’s any time in my life and my journey, I feel like now’s a good time.”
Since then, Em has been training “a couple of times a week” and anticipates feeling “nervous but excited” on the day itself.
Representing their community holds great significance for Em: “As someone who’s gone through this journey, if I’d heard about someone else who doesn’t quite fit the box or who’s struggled with things similar to me, I think I would have found that really encouraging.
“It’s not all about the people who are running the fastest or are the most dedicated, it’s just about the average person on their own journey, and I think I would have found that really inspiring to read. So that’s what I’m hoping to give to someone else.”
To support Em’s fundraising efforts, visit their webpage here.
