Transgender DH Mountain Biker Wins National Title, Talks About the Struggle

Transgender athlete Kate Weatherly won the 2018 New Zealand Mountain Bike Championships in the DH event.

By Jeff Barber
May 9, 2018 Last Updated: August 15, 2024

10 comments

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New Zealand downhill mountain bike champ Kate Weatherly was on TVNZ this weekend sharing her story about being a transgender athlete. Kate has gender dysphoria and at age 17, made the decision to transition from male to female. In February, she won the National women’s downhill title by nearly 13s, and faced significant criticism as a result.

In the piece, Kate says she found the hormone therapy she underwent — which included testosterone blockers — actually inhibited her strength on the bike. Amid all the controversy and criticism, Kate says one of the most ridiculous ideas is that she is “[…] doing this to win races […].”

Watch part of the interview to hear Kate’s story firsthand.

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10 Comments

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Jim Cummings New Zealand // 2013
May 12, 2018

Great to see this story discussed so rationally.

0 reply

rajflyboy North Carolina // 2017
May 9, 2018

I enjoy when Jeff posts something new on Singletracks. You have the most interesting articles and thoughts.

I won’t get into the politics on this one.

mongwolf Mongolia // 2011
May 9, 2018

I have my opinions on this topic as it relates to athletic competition, which I will not share here. However, I will say this, if I went the transgender route, I still wouldn't win any races. =)

triton189 2015
May 10, 2018

Funny!

S h a n e 2015
May 10, 2018

I think being born male gives an advantage. So it's not fair to the other competitors. It would be more competitive if there was a National transgender downhill title.

kwogfive Iowa // 2016
May 10, 2018

Yes 100% true. Shoulder width, lung capacity and bone density are all advantages that can't be hormoned away. I sure he is a talented rider but this is not a level playing field.

I would !!!!

sake 2017
May 9, 2018

I'm very torn on this issue as I am very happy for people like Kate who can transition and finally feel comfortable with their own body. On the other hand, in the context of racing (for prize money, scholarships, etc..), I have to respect that, at least early on in the transition process, she is potentially going to have an advantage over her female competitors given her testosterone levels and prior workouts while at those higher levels. If I was a 17 year old female competing against her I would no doubt feel that she has benefited as a result of living her first 15-16 years as a male with (presumably) high testosterone levels. Unfortunately, there is no good answer for this situation short of not allowing transgender females to compete which I do not want to see happen. I'm not sure what the Olympics rules are, but I know this is an issue they are facing in a number of disciplines. Hopefully, we as a society (and sport governing bodies) can come to an acceptable solution.

AUTHOR

Jeff Barber Georgia // 1998
May 9, 2018

Thanks for the thoughtful response.

The Olympic rule basically says that to compete as a female, a male transitioning to female must be undergoing hormone treatment. It appears the governing body in New Zealand MTB is following similar guidelines in allowing Kate to compete in (and win) the female division.

Still, as they say, it's complicated.

http://dailycaller.com/2017/07/03/heres-what-the-2018-olympic-gender-regulations-look-like/

CaroCo 2018
May 11, 2018

If anyone has concerns over physiological differences/advantages, Dr. Rachel V Mckinnon did a very interesting interview on Mountain Bike Radio on this very topic. I highly recommend giving this a listen before forming opinions that could adversely impact someone’s ability to enjoy this wonderful sport.

http://mountainbikeradio.com/mbr/mckinnon/

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