Story By: Anastasia Tsougka, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Golder’s News & Sport Ltd.

A female handball star has ended her career so she can focus on her gender identity saying she was” born in the wrong body” and is “adopted, dark-skinned, lesbian, and now transsexual”.

Swedish handball star Louise Sand, 26, has decided to give up the sport and cancel her contract with French team Fleury Loiret after revealing that she has been suffering from gender identity dysphoria for a long time.

Photo credits: Golders/ @louisand

The young player explained her feelings on a podcast published on Spotify. 

Sand sees the decision as a move of “liberation” and already goes by the name Loui Sand on her Instagram profile. 

She said: “I always felt like Loui, not Louise. Life is too short not to solve the problems that can be solved in Sweden today. I asked myself, ‘Why am I like this?’ Adopted, dark-skinned, lesbian and now transsexual.”

In a social media post, which included photos from her handball career, the Swedish star thanked her family and collaborators. 

She wrote: “Thank you to all the clubs for these years. Thanks to all the girls I had the honour to play with and all the people who are part of the sport. Thanks for the honour of wearing the Swedish national team jersey for so many years.”

“Thank you also mum and dad because you have always driven me to matches and training since I was small, especially thank you for supporting me through this and loving me no matter what.”

Sand announced at the end of her post: “Now is the time to live my life for real”.

Sand made 105 appearances for the Swedish handball team and won a bronze medal at the 2014 European Championship.

She said “everything went well” between her and the club regarding the termination of he contract, adding “but now, I want to stop handball, take care of myself and focus on a new life without it”.