A female athlete who won dozens of medals has discovered that she was in fact a man all along, leaving her no choice but to return her many awards.

Xiao Nan of Chengdu won more than 40 medals after graduating from high school. Her dominating performances brought her great acclaim and a free university education.

However, a visit to a local hospital proved what Xiao had suspected all along: the tests showed that Xiao possessed male chromosomes, confirming suspicions that she was really a he.

Xiao has since retired from competing and is now living as a man.

“Being a champion was never a happy thing to me. Standing on the podium made me feel guilty, and I always thought the real champion should have been the one standing next to me.”

Xiao has begun a course of sex change surgery at Sichuan Xichan Plastic Surgery Hospital which will take nine months. At the end of which, Xiao will lose all vestiges of ever having been a woman.

Xiao couldn’t be happier at the prospect. “The first thing I want to do after the surgery is to go swimming, wearing only boxer shorts.”

Via Ananova.