Women's new role in sport - get used to it!

I was discussing with a male relative of mine about the addition of mixed team relay triathlon to the Commonwealth games.  This is an event in which you have 4 team members (2 male, 2 female) race as a team unit in triathlon. In the first round females race in a super-sprint triathlon format (~350m swim, 6km bike, 1km run), and when they complete the course they tag their next teammate, a male, who then completes the same course and eventually tags the other 2 teammates down the relay.  The fastest team wins the event.  Its a fast and exciting event to watch, and one the International Triathlon Union (ITU) is promoting because it encourages the role of women in sport. 

Initially I was taken aback by the negative reaction of my uncle.  He didn’t think that men and women should be competing together as a team in sport. He told me that women have their own place in sport and should stay there.  In his opinion, women are not as fast nor strong as men and should not compete at the same event together.  While I was initially surprised by his misogynistic response, I shouldn’t have been.   

Growing up, I never received any positive encouragement from the male ‘role-models’ in my life.  I can recall a particular incident during my grade nine phys. ed. class where I wanted to play the position of goalie in a game of handball.  But my male phys. ed. teacher  told me I couldn’t because the ball would be going too hard and fast and I would get hurt.  I replied to him by saying that Manon Rheaume of the Tampa Bay Lightening didn’t cry during her games, and then he promptly benched me.  I dropped phys ed the following year. 

So that’s what I’ve had to deal with my whole life.  And I’m so tired of this misogynistic, close-minded and ridiculous attitude towards women’s role in sport.  If you don’t like seeing women playing sports with men, then crawl back into your man-cave with your case of beer and pack of smokes, where you can reminisce about the good old days when women knew their role, serving you snacks during the hockey game or suiting up as cheerleaders for your big game.  Because while you’re down there grumbling, the women I know are going to spread their wings, run faster than ever before and accomplish goals that they never before thought they could achieve. 

If you don’t want to support women’s new role in sport, then get the hell out of my/our way, because I’ve got molds to break, races to compete in, and championships to win.