Email to SheRox

Hello,
Thanks for contacting me. My mom, sister, and I participated in last weekend's SheRox triathlon in Philadelphia, and I wanted to get in touch with you about an issue related to the staff and volunteers at the event. What attracted my group to the SheRox triathlon was our impression that it would be a fun, empowering experience to swim, ride, and run with other supportive female athletes. In many respects, this was true! Unlike co-ed triathlons in which I've participated, there was a great feeling of camaraderie, support, and shared enthusiasm among the women that we met. For many of the women I spoke to, the all-women, no-judgment aspect of this event seemed to be an important factor. It seemed odd to me (and to many of the women I spoke with) that the announcer for the event was male. In my view, some of his comments were clearly charged by the difference in gender. For example, he referred to all the participants by first name. In all the of the athletic events I've ever witnessed or participated in, this was never the case. He also made comments about the women (participants in the triathlon) that he had met at a bar the night before and about women's bodies in general (for example, that we were "hot"). I imagine that he meant well and was aiming to be supportive, but some of what he said could still be interpreted (and was interpreted - by many of the women I spoke with) as insensitive or even offensive. I chose to do this triathlon because I wanted to be in the presence of other female athletes; I would have felt a lot more comfortable if the announcer had been one of them.

Also, when I was starting my 5k, I had the disturbing experience of being referred to as "gorgeous" (as in, "go for it, gorgeous!") by one of the volunteers. I would take offense at this comment in my normal everyday life, but at a triathlon exclusively for female athletes, I found it to be entirely unacceptable. I would have liked to spend the first 5 minutes of my race concentrating on my performance instead of feeling irked and objectified by someone who had volunteered to support me! Is there any kind of training for volunteers in this regard? It seems that at least a little sensitivity training would be appropriate for this type of event.

I would like to participate in this event again next year, and I would like to encourage my female friends to join me. I will not do either, however, unless I know that things will be different in the future.

Many thanks,
Kathleen Melville