I took a bit of a different journey than most to become the woman I am today.
I am a transgendered woman. Even though I always had an internal gender identity as female, I was raised outwardly a boy. Needless to say this caused me much confusion. It took me many years to come to terms with being transgendered, and several more years to go through the process of making my outside body match my true self.
I acknowledge this because my past is a part of me. I’m not ashamed of who I am, or who I was. I’m just me.
One question that people sometimes ask is how my transgender status impacts my athletic life and competition. I’ve had female normal hormone levels for over 20 years, and did for several years before I started being active. I spent my years growing up and as a young adult overweight, sedentary and with no athletic ability or pursuits. When I began running after hormonal and surgical treatments, I trained hard and became a competitive age group athlete but nothing close to top women athletes my age. I still work hard, mostly to hold on to the fitness I have as I get older, and because I enjoy being active.
This page is dedicated to Elizabeth Wilcox – my friend.
May she rest in peace, September 7, 2001