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High School Track Star: Running Against Trans Athletes Is ‘Devastating,’ ‘Tells Me That I’m Not Good Enough’

By • May 25, 2021 2:02 pm

Chelsea Mitchell, a former high school track star, said playing against trans athletes was “devastating” to her self-esteem and robbed her of opportunities, as she promised to keep fighting for a ban on biological males participating in girls’ athletics.

Mitchell, dubbed as Connecticut’s “fastest girl,” wrote an op-ed for USA Today on Sunday detailing why she and three other athletes sued the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) last year over the state’s decision to encourage trans athletes to participate based on gender identification rather than genetics.

Mitchell played among biologically male athletes for the majority of her high school career, and she admitted that losing to trans athletes demoralized her and other female athletes.

“I’ve lost four women’s state championship titles, two all-New England awards, and numerous other spots on the podium to male runners. I was bumped to third place in the 55-meter dash in 2019, behind two male runners. With every loss, it gets harder and harder to try again,” she wrote.

“Devastating experience”

“That’s a devastating experience. It tells me that I’m not good enough; that my body isn’t good enough; and that no matter how hard I work, I am unlikely to succeed, because I’m a woman,” she added.

In February last year, Mitchell and fellow female high school competitors Alanna Smith, Selina Soule, and Ashley Nicoletti sued CIAC for allowing two biological men, transgender students — Andraya Yearwood and Terry Miller — to participate in girls track and field tournaments. 

The case was rejected last month by a federal circuit judge, who ruled that the issue was moot since Yearwood and Miller had graduated and were no longer involved in high school athletics.

“Connecticut officials are determined to ignore the obvious. And unfortunately, a federal district court recently dismissed our case. The court’s decision to do so tells women and girls that their feelings and opportunities don’t matter, and that they can’t expect anyone to stand up for their dignity and their rights,” she added.

But Mitchell noted that she will pursue her plans to appeal the judge’s ruling. Yearwood and Miller dominated high school girls track in Connecticut while competing. 

“The CIAC allows biological males to compete in girls’ and women’s sports. As a result, two males began racing in the girls’ track in 2017. In the 2017, 2018, and 2019 seasons alone, these males took 15 women’s state track championship titles (titles held in 2016 by nine different girls) and more than 85 opportunities to participate in higher level competitions that belonged to female track athletes,” Mitchell  said.

“That’s because males have massive physical advantages. Their bodies are simply bigger and stronger on average than female bodies. It’s obvious to every single girl on the track,” she added.

Discouraging women in sports

Mitchell noted that the repeated losses to biologically male athletes chip “away at women’s confidence and our belief in our own abilities.” 

She went on to say that trans athletes could also cost female athletes chances to compete at a higher level of their sport.

“[CIAC’s policy on transgender athletes] robs girls of the chance to race in front of college scouts who show up for elite meets, and to compete for the scholarships and opportunities that come with college recruitment,” Mitchell said.

“I’ll never know how my own college recruitment was impacted by losing those four state championship titles to a male. When colleges looked at my record, they didn’t see the fastest girl in Connecticut. They saw a second- or third-place runner,” the female athlete added.

In ending the op-ed she wrote, Mitchell ended the op-ed promising to appeal the court’s decision and continue her fight to protect the integrity of high school girls’ sports.

“Through our ADF attorneys, my fellow athletes and I are appealing the federal district court’s ruling. We’re taking our case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, where we are going to ask once again for the court to recognize our right to fair competition — a right that Title IX has promised to girls and women for 50 years,” Mitchell said.

“And we’re fighting not just for ourselves, but for all female athletes.”

Some conservatives tweeted support for Mitchell, insisting that biological male athletes should not be allowed to compete in women’s sports.

“Transgender males should not be able to compete in women’s sports. Chelsea Mitchell has experienced this unfairness first hand. An important read,” former US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley wrote.

“We should all be grateful to Chelsea Mitchell. It takes real courage in the current environment to speak of the manifest unfairness of allowing biological males to compete against girls,” National Review editor Rich Lowry said.

“Shame on women’s rights advocates for not speaking out to defend women & girls in sports. Chelsea Mitchell lost 4 women’s state championship titles, 2 all-New England awards, & other spots to male runners who are transgender,” Franklin Graham, American evangelist said.

Steeve Strange

Steeve is the CEO & Co-Founder of The Scoop.
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