Lesley Mumford, a transgender cyclist, won the 100-mile Desert Gravel race on Sunday. Mumford finished over 30 minutes ahead of third-place finisher Michelle Van Sickle and 17 minutes ahead of second-place finisher Lindsey Kriete in the 40-49 age group. She finished sixth overall in the women’s division. Mumford faced harsh criticism for not competing in the non-binary category.
Mumford, who placed first in her category after defeating 43 other women, shared a photo of herself on the podium by herself because the runners-up and third-place finishers didn’t show up. Under the article, she wrote: “I have no idea why so many people bailed before the podiums, but they did. I swear I wasn’t the only one in my age group.”
The absence of the other competitors from the podium was interpreted as a silent protest against trans athletes competing in women’s sports.
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Who is Lesley Mumford?
Born in 1977, Lesley Mumford is a transgender cyclist and a former 17-year law enforcement veteran and SWAT officer.
She transitioned to in April of 2017 as per CBS news. According to her statement to the Park Record, she decided to transition in 2014. Mumford became the first transgender individual to be accepted into the FBI Academy in Virginia in 2018.
Mumford won the 100-mile Desert Gravel race that took place on May 21, 2023. She handily defeated the runner-up, Lindsey Kriete, by 17 minutes, and the third-place rider, Michelle Van Sickle, by more than 30 minutes to win her age category. Her competitors bailed during the medal celebration and Mumford was the only one on the podium.
Lindsey Kriete stated she had no idea she had finished second in her age group, behind transsexual racer Lesley Mumford, and had left the event to get a beer and some food with friends, according to the Daily Mail.
Mumford won the 2023 Desert Gravel Co2Ut (Colorado to Utah) race in her 40-49 age division on May 14. Michelle Van Sickle, who finished third but did not make the podium, finished 33 seconds behind the winner.
Kriete’s remark came after SiriusXM broadcaster Megyn Kelly chastised her transgender competition for bragging about being the only one on the platform.
Kelly alluded to Mumford as ‘a biological man’ who was ‘pretending to be a woman’ and who was Wesley Mumford until ‘two minutes ago,’ suggesting that she transitioned in order to win races.
Kriete was taken aback by the entire situation, explaining that she had no idea where she was in the race until she was called by the media.
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Opponents of trans women participating in sports claim that going through male puberty gives them greater muscles and makes them stronger.
Supporters argue that hormone suppression therapy can level the playing field, but the evidence on how effective this is is still in its early stages, and it has been attacked for being overly gentle on trans women.
