Stephanie Barrett representing Canada

[NancyDrawed]

Such an inspirational story.

Started archery at the age of 37. Is representing Canada in the Olympics in Archery at the age of 42. How lucky that Stephanie just happens to have an Olympic level talent for archery. I wonder what it is that sets this athlete apart from the much younger women in the category, apart from their height?

olympic.ca/team-canada/stephanie-barrett/?fbclid=IwAR3KuaiAwauCilPrpnVPJnHI1EnL8_r_8ZVv32kWBdrw4U0Q6nXL0O4ZUoE

@TheLovleyChebbyMcGee

From reading her bio she's clearly a sporty person, I have friends like that, can turn her hand to any sport and be good after a short time, obvs not on this scale.

However, I think archery is a skill, and you either have it or you don't. Yes you can improve with time, but you cant take a person who is rubbish and have them become outstanding with training and coaching. Good luck to her!

I don't understand the comments about 'ambiguious women' though. Are you saying she's a trans woman? I don't see any evidence of that anywhere.

Not everything has to be about trans rights though.

The receding hairline, Adam’s apple and arm length are ‘unusual’ for women. That’s from quick glance at two pics, I’m sure there’s more evidence.

@IsItShining

If it’s within the rules, it isn’t cheating.

It’s the rules that are wrong.

Agreed.

And, yet, somehow, we have always known that some rules are so wrong that it would be immoral to break them.

Rosa Freedman tirelessly highlights that the reason we have human rights is because, up until comparatively recently, atrocities were legal.

Man-made rules work for men. I'm not sure that the IOC and similar male-dominated bodies had the right to fail to consult women's organisations in this and similar cases, however.

Barrett is a MAN.
THAT is what sets him apart.

According to posts on another forum - the farmers of a well known fruit have verification of SB's history before archery.

twitter.com/AhnneCognita/status/181430116067459074

SB's own tweet confirms they're male -

"Four years ago today I began my HRT; less than 3 months to go until my SRS. Wow!" (5:21 pm · 18 Mar 2012)

Glinner has the story from ripixitnutmeg

Olympics

The articles crediting “really good coaches” and “dedicating a lot of time” as being the keys to this late in life success are making me furious.

I cannot stand that we are being gaslit like this.

I follow women’s sports because I find them inspiring. I love to see women achieving because I find it meaningful- despite the barriers, despite the lack of funding, despite having to deal with the issues having a female body can throw up, despite the negative stereotyping- seeing women reach the peak of physical fitness and skill in their chosen fields makes me so fucking happy. I want to hear their stories. I want to hear how they did it, what they did, how they felt, what their lives are like.

This is shitting on that. It is taking the short and difficult history of female representation in elite sports and making an utter mockery of it.

Excuse my ignorance, why isn't this headline news too?

Because you've got to dig to find the info that this is a trans woman. And investigative journalism no longer exists.

The articles crediting “really good coaches” and “dedicating a lot of time” as being the keys to this late in life success are making me furious

I wonder if that's the story somebody in that position have to narrate to (self?) justify doing something that might otherwise give both the narrator and the audience moral qualms?

This is where language is so important - we need not to lose the right to use clear words (it's no accident that TRAs fight to control language the way they do.)

Z is the first transgender woman to win a women's professional tournament...

........ translated back becomes:

Z is the first male to win a women's professional tournament

.. which, being the reality of it, would wake a few people up from the unthinking trance 'woke language' has cast over the world!

Ahh Barrett is successful because of their mental strength, but surely as a TW they have a "laydee brain" and get distracted by thoughts of kittens and cupcakes? Bollox, they have male privilege, male physical advantages, male entitlement. They have not had the dilemma that female athletes face if they want children do they wait until their career is over and their fertility may be waining? Do they miss at least a year of competition and take the plummet down the rankings/loss of place in the team that results? Women are different to men, they have different challenges. Men declaring themselves to be women do not have those same challenges are therefore should not be competing as women.

And mental strength would no doubt be given an unique boost knowing they have a strong likelihood of winning every time they compete against women.

@TheLovleyChebbyMcGee

From reading her bio she's clearly a sporty person, I have friends like that, can turn her hand to any sport and be good after a short time, obvs not on this scale.

However, I think archery is a skill, and you either have it or you don't. Yes you can improve with time, but you cant take a person who is rubbish and have them become outstanding with training and coaching. Good luck to her!

I don't understand the comments about 'ambiguious women' though. Are you saying she's a trans woman? I don't see any evidence of that anywhere.

Not everything has to be about trans rights though.

Oh right, well it doesn't change what I said before, best of luck to her!

Are you saying she's a trans woman? I don't see any evidence of that anywhere.

Not everything has to be about trans rights though.

@TheLovleyChebbyMcGee - It doesn't change what you said? Although Stephanie is trans? And if it's not about trans rights, whose rights is it about?

@SheldonesqueTheBstard

And mental strength would no doubt be given an unique boost knowing they have a strong likelihood of winning every time they compete against women.

A little like a blend of the Patronus spell and the Felix Felicis potion?

And there's also the remarkable fortune of being less apprehensive around injuries occurring within cyclical hormonal patterns and greater confidence in recovery from any injuries.

We should all send a "in sympathy" card to the IOC - dedicated to women's sport. They are ridiculous. Imagine thinking a man with adjusted hormones is a woman. Advantage / disadvantage doesn't matter. We have sport categories and sex category should be exactly that - not a adjusted hormone category with added dose of "what my feelings are"

I wish someone would organise an alternative medals ceremony just before the closing ceremony for all those women who have been bumped down the placings by a man to be awarded the appropriate medals with a big XX on them.

@Betty91

We should all send a "in sympathy" card to the IOC - dedicated to women's sport. They are ridiculous. Imagine thinking a man with adjusted hormones is a woman. Advantage / disadvantage doesn't matter. We have sport categories and sex category should be exactly that - not a adjusted hormone category with added dose of "what my feelings are"

I love this idea. More than happy to do this. Do we have an address? A person to name on the card.

grahamlinehan.substack.com/p/another-man-steals-a-womans-place

m.youtube.com/watch?v=lfYIAAuITWg

First link is an article talking about how people on kiwi farms found out that Stephanie is a transwoman, second is a recent video of Stephanie in action during qualifying, note all the comments on the video are people calling out how unfair it is that Stephanie has taken the space of a born female. The woman she is competing against in the video is Tania Edwards. Tania is the woman who lost her space on the Olympic team to Stephanie. She is a mother of two and like Stephanie came to archery a bit later in life starting in 2015, she is currently 49 years old and previously did well in age group and masters swimming.

I watched that and wished I had not.

The smug grin almost killed me.

That is a grin of someone who could not cut it with their peers. So chose to make the most of it to compete with those who have a physical disadvantage.

Take the shame.

Being generally fit and healthy and having an inbuilt talent and really enjoying a sport does mean, that for some sports, you can be reasonably successful even if you take it up at a later age. Some more niche sports have fewer competitors so you can go further, and obviously you need the wherewithal to train properly. I took up a sport in my late 30s and did very well against younger women despite lacking in one major characteristic (height, in this case) until my mid 40s when the onset of perimenopause seriously affected me.
However, for a man to take up a sport later in life and compete against women is cheating, pure and simple, trans or otherwise.

I bloody love the "Robbinghood" comment.

Another one , I guess this is something else for the file marked 'it will never happen'!

Just had a look at 'her' bio... Graduated from Seneca College in 2003 with an honours diploma in Computer Programming & Analysis with a dual specialization in Software and Internet Development

What is it with software developers?? There's definitely a trend.

Also from the bio - Favourite mottos: “Be the person you needed” / “Steady. Strong. True”

True? Seriously? Like the 'truth' of pretending you're something that you're not. Excuse me while I puke!

BTW, gotta love that receding hairline .