A letter to United States Masters Swimming:
I was born in 1971, one year before Title IX was enacted. Growing up playing recreational sports in the 1970s and high school sports in the 1980s, I never knew that female athletes had struggled and fought for equal opportunities. I had access to locker rooms, uniforms, and sports that were available to all the male athletes in my community. It wasn’t until I started my degree program at The University of Michigan that I realized that had not always been the case for women athletes.
Many of my professors or guest speakers were women who had grown up in the 1950s and 1960s. The stories that I heard from them, and still hear from women athletes older than me, were eye opening and appalling. Substandard facilities, limited or no practice times, old men’s uniforms, lack of coaching and personal harassment are just a few of the struggles they faced. “Throw like a girl” and “run like a girl” were the norm and not the exception.They fought the battles for me and every other woman that has come after them. Those women paved the way for Title IX and the opportunities it gave me. They became my role models. They led the way for today’s Team USA athletes like Katie Ledecky, Simone Biles, Suni Lee and Sha’Carri Richardson who have become today’s role models, and are just a few of the many women setting the standards for women athletes. They are the athletes that all the young girls playing sports can look up to as their future mentors. Those young girls playing sports today thought they had the same opportunities to succeed and their athletic dreams would be possible thanks to the women who came before them.
Sadly, this is not the case in 2025. Women are again fighting for their rights to compete against other women in sport. Women’s records are falling, spots on teams are being taken and trophies are being earned by athletes who were born biological males. Some sports have been at the forefront at both protecting women’s rights in sports and also offering opportunities for all to participate in sports. Recently, both the NCAA and World Aquatics have put legislation in place to protect women in competition. However, United States Masters Swimming is not following their precedent and is failing their women athletes. To say that I am disappointed in United States Masters Swimming is an understatement. Your choices in your legislation and rules are detrimental to women in Masters Swimming. You are limiting opportunities for all your female swimmers to earn medals, places and records as well as have fair competition.
At this year’s USMS Spring Nationals, Ana Caldas competed in the female category although she was born a biological male. Ana was first in all individual events. Competing as a male, the results would be radically different…
50 Br would have been 10th
100 IM would have been 20th
50 Free would have been 17th
100 Br would have been 9th
100 Free would have been 11th place.
In 2024, Ana Caldas holds Top 10 rankings in the Women’s category for many different events. Had Ana competed as a male in 2024, not one of those results would have been a Top 10 time. Although I did not compete at this year’s Spring Nationals, my heart goes out to those women who did not receive a medal, place higher in the standings, earn a Top 10 time, or earn more points for their team in their events due to the participation of Ana Caldas in the Women’s category.
Until you create legislation and rules to protect women’s swimming, I will not be participating in any USMS sanctioned events or renewing my membership for 2026. I will actively spread the word and encourage other women to do the same. Title IX was created for a reason. I’m willing to fight the fight, again, that my mentors did before me. I am fighting for all the young girls that come after me. As a USMS coach that also works with para swimmers of many disabilities, I know that inclusion is possible. I know how classification, a process that groups people by eligible impairments, can help to level the playing field and provide fair competition. A classification or category solution is out there should you choose to seek it to protect the rights of your women swimmers. I urge United States Masters Swimming to reconsider its current policies and take action to ensure fairness, integrity, and equal opportunity in women’s competition. As an organization that prides itself on inclusion and community, you have the ability, and responsibility, to provide solutions that honor the intent of Title IX and protect the future of women’s sports.
Thank you for taking the time to hear my concerns.