A TRANSGENDER female cross country runner has been named as a university student Female Athlete of the Week.
June Eastwood, who studies at the University of Montana, has been named Female Athlete of the Week by the Big Sky Conference after beating all but one woman in a race.
The 22-year-old ran for the men’s team before identifying as a transgender female in August and then joined the women’s team.
At the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational in Sunnyvale, California, she finished second in a group of 204 female runners.
She clocked a time of 20.86 in the 6km race and whose athletic ability was crucial in helping the team place seventh overall.
Previously, Eastwood competed on the University of Montana’s men’s team before identifying as a transgender female and being allowed a spot on the women’s team.
As a man, she was a standout athlete.
Eastwood told Bozeman Daily Chronicles: “[I’m] nervous and excited.
“Nervous for what that means and how people will react, but excited because I haven’t competed in 15 months, and excited to get this started.”
The debate surrounding transgender athletes in sports has been hotly debated.
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But In June’s case, and other student transgender athletes, policy allows male to compete as women under certain guidelines.
The policy says male runners who identify as transgender women must suppress testosterone levels for a full calendar year before competing in women’s sports.
It states that it’s not warranted to assume: “That being born with a male body automatically gives a transgender woman an unfair advantage when competing against non-transgender women.”
