I want to believe that there is diversity in the sport of triathlon. I wish I could say that triathlon is an easy-entry, welcoming-for-all sport.
Across the nation, public discussions about race and racism have increased in volume and intensity. Looking away and remaining silent will not change the real-life consequences that others experience. The conversation has become too loud to ignore. While uncomfortable to many, the current state of our nation requires us to no longer ignore these tough conversations. There's a sense of responsibility and urgency to bring these topics to the forefront within the triathlon community. Yes, deep discussions about race, gender, gender identity, class, sexual orientation, religion, and culture may be uncomfortable and conversations may bring feelings of anger, guilt, discomfort, sadness, and ignorance. But if we can all engage in constructive dialogue and learning, we can all work together to shift the conversation into something positive.....Diversity in the sport of triathlon.
As it relates to triathlon, it's an exclusive sport. Triathlon is a costly hobby, requiring a lot of time, support and resources. To do the sport, you need much more than a pair of running shoes. It's not an easy sport for the youth to enter and a hobby that easily becomes too time-consuming and expensive as people age. It's an upscale lifestyle - difficult for any individual, regardless of race, to enter and maintain. Triathlon is predominantly (not exclusively) a white man’s hobby, supported by organizations and companies targeting individuals with a high socioeconimic status. Yes, there are many barriers to entry for the sport of triathlon, but there are significant limitations for minorities.
Across the nation, public discussions about race and racism have increased in volume and intensity. Looking away and remaining silent will not change the real-life consequences that others experience. The conversation has become too loud to ignore. While uncomfortable to many, the current state of our nation requires us to no longer ignore these tough conversations. There's a sense of responsibility and urgency to bring these topics to the forefront within the triathlon community. Yes, deep discussions about race, gender, gender identity, class, sexual orientation, religion, and culture may be uncomfortable and conversations may bring feelings of anger, guilt, discomfort, sadness, and ignorance. But if we can all engage in constructive dialogue and learning, we can all work together to shift the conversation into something positive.....Diversity in the sport of triathlon.
As it relates to triathlon, it's an exclusive sport. Triathlon is a costly hobby, requiring a lot of time, support and resources. To do the sport, you need much more than a pair of running shoes. It's not an easy sport for the youth to enter and a hobby that easily becomes too time-consuming and expensive as people age. It's an upscale lifestyle - difficult for any individual, regardless of race, to enter and maintain. Triathlon is predominantly (not exclusively) a white man’s hobby, supported by organizations and companies targeting individuals with a high socioeconimic status. Yes, there are many barriers to entry for the sport of triathlon, but there are significant limitations for minorities.
Yes, triathlon requires motivation, discipline and dedication but it is a time consuming, expensive and egocentric hobby.
To bring about positive change and unity to the sport of triathlon, we must not ignore the fact that social norms and cultural underpinnings influence our experiences. Struggles for place, power and opportunity are woven throughout history, often because of skin color. No matter your background, many people are given advantages due to affiliation. Triathlon may appear exclusive, but this doesn't mean it can't be diverse.
To bring about positive change and unity to the sport of triathlon, we must not ignore the fact that social norms and cultural underpinnings influence our experiences. Struggles for place, power and opportunity are woven throughout history, often because of skin color. No matter your background, many people are given advantages due to affiliation. Triathlon may appear exclusive, but this doesn't mean it can't be diverse.
As it relates to the topic of white privilege, privilege is freedom to do what you want to do and think what you want and say what you want and act as you please. It is not based on what you have done or failed to do. It has nothing to do with whether or not you are a "good" person. Some people are given opportunities, bestowed upon you by the institutions with which you interact - not simply because you are a hard working, kind and intelligent human being. Some are born with privilege. It's the reality that some people were born with access to power and resources. Doors are open to some people that are not open to other people. If you are a minority, it's not easy to access the door to triathlon.
I realize that this conversation is uncomfortable. If you feel like these words are delivering a verbal attack on your ego - "How dare you say that my success is given to me. I am not wealthy, I work incredibly hard, nothing has been given to me!" - read on. We can't live in a society that constantly tells us that "you only get what you deserve and only earn what you work for." Even if you are an incredibly hard worker, there are still inequalities relating to gender, disability, sexual orientation, socioeconimic status, ability, age, size, weight, culture, religion, etc.
As it relates to the current topic of race, we can't fully dismantle structural racism if people of color only have a small voice or presence in the sport of triathlon. It's time for a new normal. Thankfully, we have tools, resources and voices to deal with diversity in sport. Like training for an event, understanding diversity in triathlon is an intellecutal activity that we must continue to work on. But for equality and inclusion to work, drastic changes must occur. Not just adding people of color to a triathlon add on social media. We must start over and build a better plan, together as a diverse community.
If you are ready to do the work so that triathlon can evolve into an inclusive environment, the first step is understanding your privilege and how it has shaped your perspectives, experiences and interactions. It will take time to to remove the influence of implicit bias so that you can understand situations for what they are and not how you perceive them to be. Learning to see your own privilege is an important pathway to self-discovery. Here are a few self-reflection questions to help get you started (adapted from NASP).
- When was the last time you felt uncomfortable about your ethnicity, race, gender identity, ability level, religion, and/or sexual orientation? What provoked you to think about it or acknowledge it?
- When watching TV, or a movie, how likely are you to watch shows whose characters reflect your ethnicity, race, gender, ability level, religion, gender identity, and/or sexual orientation?
- When using social media, how diverse is your feed? How diverse are your friends and followers? How diverse are those that you follow?
- How do you feel, respond and act when others make negative statements towards individuals of a different ethnicity, race, gender, ability level, religion, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity than yourself?
- How often do you go to social settings and events where the majority of individuals are of a different ethnicity, race, gender, ability level, religion, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity than yourself?
- How diverse is the community in which you live?
- How diverse is the community in which you exercise?
- How do you feel when you are in a community that is different than your neighborhood?
- What steps can you take to make triathlon more inclusive and diverse?
Now it's time to get to some reading. Here is a short list of the articles that I found helpful in my learning, discussions and deep-thinking as it relates to the need for immediate action and change in the sport of triathlon .
READING LIST
- The Crux of the matter diversity in triathlon
- USAT Just Made a Big Step Toward Increasing Diversity in Triathlon
- After Backlash, Ironman ‘Pauses’ Women For Tri Facebook Group
- A reflection on race and identity from Live Feisty’s Senior Editor.
- Ironman closes down comments and posts on Women For Tri Facebook Page
- Finding Camaraderie As A Black Triathlete
- Multisport Milestones, Part 1: Leading the Way in Cultural Diversity
- The power of image in triathlon
- Black Triathletes Organization
If you found this article helpful, I ask that you share it with your friends, family and triathlon community. If you are deeply committed to social justice work, you have to be willing to listen, learn and engage in sensitive, uncomfortable and difficult conversations.