Kelly O’Mara

How women, trans athletes, and gender non-binary athletes of all racial identities and abilities are represented in the media shapes how we understand their experience in triathlon. Who receives coverage? Whose voices and achievements are elevated? What do commentators focus on or render invisible through their language choices? What stereotypes are perpetuated when journalists interview or write about triathletes? These questions are important to answer and understand as they can and do have a profound effect on our individual and cultural understanding of the barriers facing athletes with marginalized identities. This panel will explore these issues and offer suggestions on what we can do to be critical consumers of sports media. How can we better understand the influence of systemic sexism, racism, transphobia, and misogyny on sports media and its effect on our view of triathlon and sport in general?