To all swimmers

[Cassie 4 Ever!!!]

Hello everyone,

I am on a Masters Swim team, I love to swim, and I love to race. I swim the 200 and 100 butterfly. I am just starting my MTF journey and I have a few questions for those who might know. In addition to this, I work for a pool company, I have to get in the water and train lifeguards year round.

1,) Will I still be able to race for a masters team?
2,) Do I have to wait until SRS/GRS to swim with the ladies instead of the men?
3,) Also, any swim suits that you recommend for after starting HRT and the breasts begin to grow?
     I have to be careful about this one because men's rules don't allow anything below the knee, or above the hip. Everything else must be skin exposed with the exception of the cap and goggles.
4,) do you have any advice for me? I would like to be able to swim and race through out my transition.

Thank you,

[AusBelle]

I swum in Aussies (adult) swimming here in Australia up until I started transition, but never swam during transition, so can't help you there unfortunately.  Funny you should bring this up as I want to get back into swimming now, years after transitioning. 

You should be able to find the rules regarding this online though.  Having said that I think you are brave for wanting to swim competitively during your transition....

[Cassie 4 Ever!!!]

OMG, sorry I totally missed this post. Yeah, I am all worried about the during part more than before or after. People say that I will have broad shoulders but hey, I love to swim, and come on, missy franklin is bigger than me! About the rules, I didn't find any rule saying that it is against masters rules, and I read from numerous sites that even the Olympics allow you to compete after transitioning like 2 years after GRS/SRS as long as your hormones are in normal ranges. Not like the Olympics is my goal, but still, I didn't expect that.

I want to swim during my transition because I love to swim, I want to swim, I love to race, and also my job requires that I swim all the time; like almost every day.

[Jumpingcats]

I would see if maybe you can get an exception to wear a "rash guard" on top, that might be able to hide some breast growth.

I don't really know how you could wear a women's swimsuit, I'd think that would be to revealing. Maybe you could wear the female board shorts, they look like mens but much less baggy an shorter over a women's suit for the bottoms. I would think this would be something your employer would really need to work with you on.

[Q]

If you can't get them to let you compete in masters swimming during transition, what about doing some triathlons or something for a while instead? Men and women wear tops / trisuits in triathlons - so that ought to make it easier for you.

I would think you would have to compete in male categories as I would expect they would follow Olympic type rules and aren't they something like srs plus at least two years of hormone therapy? Although something like triathlons would make that easier as other than there sometimes being single sex start waves everyone is jumbled up together after that anyway.

[Cassie 4 Ever!!!]

I would see if maybe you can get an exception to wear a "rash guard" on top, that might be able to hide some breast growth.

I don't really know how you could wear a women's swimsuit, I'd think that would be to revealing. Maybe you could wear the female board shorts, they look like mens but much less baggy an shorter over a women's suit for the bottoms. I would think this would be something your employer would really need to work with you on.

For work, It wont be a problem, I can wear what ever I want, but I have to make sure it isn't too revealing. After I come out to work, I have no intention of trying to hide breast growth. The suggestion is very much a good one an I will defiantly look into it. I wonder how well you can hide the junk with the bathing suits I you tuck well.

If you can't get them to let you compete in masters swimming during transition, what about doing some triathlons or something for a while instead? Men and women wear tops / trisuits in triathlons - so that ought to make it easier for you.

I would think you would have to compete in male categories as I would expect they would follow Olympic type rules and aren't they something like SRS plus at least two years of hormone therapy? Although something like triathlons would make that easier as other than there sometimes being single sex start waves everyone is jumbled up together after that anyway.

I think you are right. I will have to email the Masters people. I don't see why I wont be able to compete. even if I have to wait 2 years past SRS. I don't see why, if I will be living like  woman, have breasts, that I cant wear the women's racing suits, and just get placed with the men's category. The person I am racing is myself, and the clock.

[dentifrice]

If you find any solution... I'll be please to know.
I'm also considering HRT (low dose but anyway) and as I'm a swimmer the question came : "what a about the swimming pool?"

I would like to do an MtAndrogyne transition. But boobs could (even if it's not my goal) get bigger a little... and I'm not planning to do an SRS so ?
Wearing women swimsuit and tucking my things ?
Or wearing a men swimsuit if I can keep very little boobs ?

Talking about that, do you know how to tuck properly in swimsuit ?

[Jaimie]

I love to swim too. I love racing in triathlons even more. After being on HRT for a while I cannot imagine competing without something covering my breasts. My swim training is not very frequent now. I know a masters team in my area but I haven't had the courage to join. After I'm post op I hope I am a little less shy about going to the swimming pool. I'm legally female so if I were to compete I would compete as a female but I don't plan on competing in anything until I'm post op. I want to minimize any potential controversy. If you are comfortable competing in a men's division and having to follow the dress code for men's competition the go for it. I think it boils down to what you are comfortable doing. NCAA rules say you just have to be on HRT for one year to compete as female, for the Olympics the rules are you have to be post op, plus 2 years HRT, and they evaluate transsexual athletes on a case by case basis. Personally, I have taken a two year break from racing. I'm still training though. I didn't want to race in the men's division and I wasn't quite ready to race in the women's division.

[Zoe Snow]

I am a masters swimmer as well.  I don't think I could survive without being in the pool most days of the week.  I haven't tried competing yet, but wouldn't mind doing a swim meet sometime.  I really wish they wouldn't have made the rule for males that you can't wear anything above the navel.  I just got done going for a swim in the hotel pool where I'm staying at (currently on a business trip).  I decided to try wearing a female style one piece swimsuit (TYR Solid Maxback), and it was by far the most comfortable thing I think I've ever swam in.  Coverage wise, it was pretty close to what a normal speedo would cover, so I didn't have any trouble there.  I'm sure anyone who looked at me was able to tell I was male, but no one said anything or gave me any kind of grief about it.  I would really like to swim in this during my masters practices, but I don't have quite the courage to attempt that yet.  I've also been swimming with a gay / lesbian masters swim club here in Chicago, but I'm not sure how open they'd be about it.  Maybe someday...

[Cassie 4 Ever!!!]

I am a masters swimmer as well.  I don't think I could survive without being in the pool most days of the week.  I haven't tried competing yet, but wouldn't mind doing a swim meet sometime.  I really wish they wouldn't have made the rule for males that you can't wear anything above the navel.  I just got done going for a swim in the hotel pool where I'm staying at (currently on a business trip).  I decided to try wearing a female style one piece swimsuit (TYR Solid Maxback), and it was by far the most comfortable thing I think I've ever swam in.  Coverage wise, it was pretty close to what a normal speedo would cover, so I didn't have any trouble there.  I'm sure anyone who looked at me was able to tell I was male, but no one said anything or gave me any kind of grief about it.  I would really like to swim in this during my masters practices, but I don't have quite the courage to attempt that yet.  I've also been swimming with a gay / lesbian masters swim club here in Chicago, but I'm not sure how open they'd be about it.  Maybe someday...

I have to be in the water as well. I wish that they didnt have the rule like they do for males as well.... but they do. I know if there is a G/L masters team here or not. I never thought about that. I was thinking about just swimming with a full body suit by myself, and then when i can look like a lady in a womans suit, join a team as a woman. But, i would have to check the USMS rules about that.