Keelin Godsey's Heavy Hammer
by Josh on August 10, 2012
http://www.originalplumbing.com/2012/08/10/keelin-godseys-heavy-hammer/But, like the 7 foot circle from which he throws, Keelin recognizes this approach has limits. "I want two things that I can't have together. I want to start physically transitioning but I can't compete at the level I'm at anymore if I do."
Compounding Keelin's circumstance is the chilly reception he has received from some members of the trans-community who speculate that Keelin holds off medical transition because he "wants the best of both worlds". Keelin points out that, ironically, he gets the best of neither. (Sidebar: If you have medically transitioned, recall the day you decided to do it and ask yourself if you held off at all because you had it so good.) He's quick to note however, that he has many good transgender friends. When I asked him about support in the cis-gendered athletic community, Keelin responds "Training was just training with other throwers, not 'gendered' athletes." He received support from teammates and coaches alike.
Keelin's reality is that medically transitioning would mean – with certainty – ouster from the 7 foot circle which simultaneously saves and confines his life: Stay inside the circle, be a contender; step outside the circle, be disqualified. And so Keelin Godsey, a fearsome competitor, hasn't figured out how to win this game.
