The story of (1918–2011) is one of the most remarkable accounts of a trans pioneer. She was a World War II fighter pilot and racing driver who became the first known British trans woman to undergo gender-affirming surgery in 1951. A Life of High-Speed Adventure

She began motor racing in 1936 while studying engineering at University College London .

After the war, Cowell faced deep internal struggles with her gender identity. In the early 1950s, she began her transition: