in swimming, is this legal or should it be?

Question

ok so i know this girl from swimming. shes on another top notch club in the area ive met her at meets and we roomed together at zone camp and flew together to FL for a meet. shes honestly one of the nicest girls i know (except she gets so nervous before her races and gets rude then but whatever). anyway one day i was talking to her and found out somehting very disturbing. when she was 11, and showing signs of being a future swimming standout. her mother hired a private doctor to ensure that her body didn't 'develop' the way most girls bodies do. sure i had realized she barely had boobs, had no hips and curves whatsoever, and if you hadnt seen her face you may think she was a boy. but i never thought anything of it. i am concerned for my friend. idk if shell ever be able to have children (she never got her period and is like 8% body fat). do u think this should be legal?? is it unfair to competitors? is it dangerous for my friend? thankss
-allysa (is concerned)

Answer 1

That is TERRIBLE! What kind of mother would give her daughter drugs that WILL affect her for all of her life JUST so she can win some swim meets? And what kind of DOCTOR could this doc be?! This should be something she should be able to decide to do on her own when she's an ADULT! Not when she's 11... that's just so disturbing to me to know what extent parent's will go to to have their child the best at a particular sport! What ever happened to good ol' honest competition?! And is the girl REALLY enjoying the sport if she feels like it's all work all of the time? And if she loses these meets, after all she's given up, how will that affect her longterm? I think I would anonymously talk to a trusted adult, like your school counselor, and let them decide what measures should be taken after that. As for it being fair to the other competitors... I don't think it is. But all you can do is do your personal best... give it 110% and have a great time doing it. After all, that's what it's suppose to be about!

Answer 2

I don't see how it is illegal with parental consent, but it IS most disturbing. Like being military, a fire fighter or on a stunt team, the object is to do what you do well and still be able to live to do normal things when you're done. The mother isn't being fair to her own flesh and blood by ruining her chances for a normal womanhood, and who knows what else she's doing to that poor child to make her "competitive"?

I'd be an anonymous informant to the school systems' governing agency on sports, and also let the police know.

Answer 3

Any part of the body that (how to put this delicately) sticks out, creates drag, which slows a swimmer down. I think it's a drastic measure to take, to do what your friends mother did, and it can't be good for the girl. I have to wonder what was up with the doctor they went to, that he/she let this happen.

Answer 4

of course it is dangerous, first of all for your friend's safety, i would consider telling a trusted adult about this.

and also, i believe if the officials at the meet knew about this, they would think twice about letting her swim at all.

and this defiantly gives her an unfair advantage, and not to mention the harmful effects it has on her body, and the dangers cause by messing with her genes. you should tell someone immediately.

Answer 5

good for swimming.... I do not THINK it is unlawful.... however how might they discover out?? in water polo its a certain NONO. I have got women kicked out of video games for that LOL. It makes it almost impossibe to preserve any person in role durring a recreation (that is VERY vital)

Answer 6

I'm not sure if it is legal or not, but it definitely should NOT be if it is. It is unfair to competitors but I don't think she should stop swimming because it wasn't her fault. I don't know if it is dangerous or not, sry.

Answer 7

yes, it's dangerous, harmful and illegal.