Jaiyah Saelua: if I experience transphobia I just tackle harder

Despite the hype and carefully crafted presentation, this year’s World Cup was in some ways a monochrome world, one where highly-paid athletes represented their respective nations despite a private life that has little in common with those they ostensibly embody.

However, look beyond the action in Brazil, and the World Cup can still provide an outlet for a catalogue of heart-warming and colourful tales. There are few, if any, that are as unique or groundbreaking as that of Jaiyah “Johnny” Saelua, who has been recognised by Fifa as the first transgender international footballer to play in the World Cup.

Born male, Saelua is one of Samoa’s “fa’afafine” – roughly translated as way of the woman – a third gender that is commonplace in Polynesian culture.

In November 2011 Saelua, known as Johnny in official football documentation, took the field for American Samoa in Oceania’s first round of World Cup qualifiers for Brazil 2014. She played an important role in helping American Samoa – once branded the world’s worst team after a barely believable 31-0 defeat against Australia – to an unlikely breakthrough win; their first in international football.

The tiny Pacific territory is a collection of islands and coral atolls, and is small even by the standards of Oceania, comfortably Fifa’s smallest confederation. The entire population of American Samoa numbers just 60,000 – a mid-sized town in most western nations – and football is hardly a common part of daily life in the sleepy capital of Pago Pago.

The nation’s size is reflected in their football record. Seventeen years, 30 defeats and 229 goals conceded – including that infamous world record defeat against Australia in 2001 – were American Samoa’s bare statistics since making their international debut. However, Saelua worked her way into the starting side after a lengthy apprenticeship, and helped her team achieve a World Cup win over Tonga.

The result, and Saelua’s story, has received global recognition thanks to Next Goal Wins, a film that has been released globally over the past few months, having screened at the recent Sydney Film Festival to positive reviews and large audiences.

Travelling extensively to promote the film, Saelua now finds herself somewhat unwittingly cast as a role-model and spokesperson for transgender sportspeople. It is, however, a role she is happy to fill.

She has decided to delay her full “transition” to becoming a female, in order to continue playing for the national team, with the Oceania World Cup qualifiers for Russia 2018 set to commence next year. The Pacific Games and Olympic qualifiers are also on the horizon.

“It has been a life-changing experience for me to go to all these wonderful places around the world – first time in New York City, in London, in Paris, in Sydney – and that I am able to educate the world about inclusion, and provide a little glimpse of Samoan culture,” she says.

Saelua had, in a sad indictment in the western world, not suffered discrimination until she travelled away from her homeland. In fact, she laughs at the very notion when asked if she had ever suffered discrimination prior to leaving American Samoa. “No, none at all, there are lots of fa’afafine in American Samoa that play soccer, and other sports, and even in other national teams in other sports. We are all given an equal opportunity to play sport.”

That experience quickly changed when she moved to Hawaii, trying out for a University of Hawaii men’s team. “Fifteen minutes into the warm-up, the coach called me over and said he doesn’t want to put the rest of the team into an uncomfortable position and sent me home. That was my first major experience [of discrimination].

“On the international pitch I have been called names a few times just to put me off my game, but I just tackle harder,” Saelua says with a smile.

With a warm and engaging personality, Saelua seems to fit seamlessly into the role that has serendipitously come her way. But does she enjoy it? “I do, but in some ways it has taken me by surprise. I wasn’t really prepared so it has been a little overwhelming. I had to do some research to see how people perceive transgender people in sport. There is still a struggle [globally] with homophobia, and here I am jumping into transphobia when it is unheard of yet.”

Now 26, Saelua’s football odyssey began when she took up the game at school as an 11-year-old. Her first coach was none other Nicky Salapu, arguably the nation’s most famous player, albeit for all the wrong reasons. Though talented, Salapu had the misfortune of being American Samoa’s goalkeeper in that infamous match against the Socceroos.

Saelua debuted for the national team as a raw 15-year-old in qualifiers for Germany 2006, and made a couple of brief appearances in South Africa 2010 qualifying. Then finally in 2011, under Dutch-born American coach Thomas Rongen, Saelua was given extended game time and the move paid dividends with the nation’s first-ever international win.

“For me personally I was happy to win having been a part of the team finally,” says Saelua, who says tough and physical tackling is the best part of her game. “I played the full 90 minutes, provided the assist and made a last-minute goalline clearance. I was happy for that win to make amends for Nicky [Salapu]. I am happy he got to get rid of some demons. A thousand people were clapping and cheering at Tribeca [Film Festival] in the middle of the film when we scored.”

The world record defeat against Australia is a topic rarely raised in American Samoa. “I had never heard of it during my time with the national team, it was only after six or seven years with the national team that I did. Nobody talks about it. Who would?” Saelua says with a laugh. Despite the result’s apparent irrelevance Saelua says she is “still not a fan of the Socceroos”. She is, however, a “major fan” of Tim Cahill, who is well-known for a deep connection to his Samoan heritage.

“He has been very supportive of the film, and he was such a nice guy [at Tribeca]. He tweeted a lot about the film, and said how proud he was to come from a culture that emphasises overcoming obstacles, how strong they are in overcoming obstacles, and how accepting they are of fa’afafine.”

After her recent global travels Saelua is now back studying in Hawaii, where she has lived for the past few years, playing and training socially only. But she will be back in full training with the national team later this year.

Promoting the film has provided a vehicle to address some topics very dear to her heart. She talks with passion for football, as she does transgender recognition in an era of change. In June, actress Laverne Cox became the first transgender person to appear on the cover of Time magazine. “I’m proud to be transgender,” says Saelua. “The gay struggle is coming to an end, and it’s time for transgender women to play a part in the world”.

• Next Goal Wins is released in The UK on DVD on 1 September. It is currently on release in Australia and can be bought here.