I have a friend who transitioned in her 60s, after obviously living as a male (and serving in the military) for decades with testosterone. Once on male hormone suppression along with pharmaceutical estrogen, her strength definitely deteriorated which caused some adjustments in her daily activities, which are ongoing.
I can say, it’s been a valuable and rare education to have a close friend who can describe from first hand experience, what it feels like - especially regarding societal interactions - to experience life from both genders.
The question is whether strength deteriorated so much as to make her competitive with other women, or whether in spite of the diminished strength she is still much stronger than her female peers. Lia's record might be considered anecdotal but still in the 2018–2019 season she was, when competing in the men's team, ranked 554 in the 200 freestyle, 65 in the 500 freestyle, and 32 in the 1650 freestyle. In the 2021–2022 season, those ranks are now, when competing in the women's team, 5 in the 200 freestyle, first in the 500 freestyle, and eight in the 1650 freestyle.
I’d bet that my friend who transitioned is still stronger than me, for all the biological reasons people are discussing. It’s a really “sticky wicket” without an obvious solution. I wish it had never come up, but it was inevitable. I’m still examining my own feelings/opinions. At this point, I wish people didn’t demand to have it all, the whole pie. Everyone is faced with limitations, physical, intellectual, or even emotional, on their participation in societal activities. I’d never enter a beauty pageant for example! My son is too short to play basketball. But we are nonetheless content in the absence of those activities.
I have a friend who transitioned in her 60s, after obviously living as a male (and serving in the military) for decades with testosterone. Once on male hormone suppression along with pharmaceutical estrogen, her strength definitely deteriorated which caused some adjustments in her daily activities, which are ongoing.
I can say, it’s been a valuable and rare education to have a close friend who can describe from first hand experience, what it feels like - especially regarding societal interactions - to experience life from both genders.
The question is whether strength deteriorated so much as to make her competitive with other women, or whether in spite of the diminished strength she is still much stronger than her female peers. Lia's record might be considered anecdotal but still in the 2018–2019 season she was, when competing in the men's team, ranked 554 in the 200 freestyle, 65 in the 500 freestyle, and 32 in the 1650 freestyle. In the 2021–2022 season, those ranks are now, when competing in the women's team, 5 in the 200 freestyle, first in the 500 freestyle, and eight in the 1650 freestyle.
I’d bet that my friend who transitioned is still stronger than me, for all the biological reasons people are discussing. It’s a really “sticky wicket” without an obvious solution. I wish it had never come up, but it was inevitable. I’m still examining my own feelings/opinions. At this point, I wish people didn’t demand to have it all, the whole pie. Everyone is faced with limitations, physical, intellectual, or even emotional, on their participation in societal activities. I’d never enter a beauty pageant for example! My son is too short to play basketball. But we are nonetheless content in the absence of those activities.