The 53rd anniversary of Title IX is tomorrow

Keep fighting with me.

I know there is chaos in the world right now and everyone is taking sides on whether or not the President should have bombed Iran but I’m going to talk about Title IX because the 53rd anniversary is tomorrow, June 23.

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Title IX changed everything for women and girls, including me.

I started gymnastics in 1974, two years after Title IX was passed.

Up until that point there were classes women couldn’t take in high school and college. There were degrees in certain majors at colleges and universities across the country that women were prohibited from securing. And the opportunities for women and girls to participate in sports were few and far between.

But these 37 words changed everything for women and girls.

“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

The most famous part of Title IX is the sports part. Since the passage of Title IX in 1972, participation in women’s and girls’ sports in the United States has increased dramatically.

High School Participation: In 1971, before Title IX, approximately 295,000 girls participated in high school sports, accounting for about 7% of all high school athletes. By 2018-19, this number had grown to over 3.4 million, representing about 43% of high school athletes. This reflects an increase of over 1,050% (or more than tenfold) since 1971.

College Participation: In 1972, around 32,000 women competed in intercollegiate sports, making up 15% of college athletes. By 2012, this number had risen to over 190,000, and by recent years, it exceeded 222,000, representing about 44% of college athletes. This marks an increase of approximately 600% at the collegiate level.

I never competed in high school or college as a gymnast. I only competed under the auspices of the US Olympic Committee, never under Title IX’s governance. BUT Title IX still impacted me. Gyms popped up all over the country in the early 70s. Yes, because of Olga Korbut and Nadia Comaneci and because of Title IX.

Parents saw that their daughters would have the opportunity to compete in high school or possibly even in college and so they sent their busy little 6 year olds — girls like me — to these gyms. Coaches saw the opportunity and they opened gyms. And that happened across the country across a range of sports and it continues today.

I have a love hate relationship with gymnastics. I took it all the way. Like I do everything. I was a 7x national team member and the 1986 national champion. And I suffered terrible emotional and physical abuse in the sport. And twenty years later, as I continued to suffer from that abuse, I wrote a book about it and became the first elite level whistle blower in the sport.

That said, for all that I endured, I am so grateful I had the opportunity to compete — and to win — in my chosen sport.

I learned resilience. I learned that if I work hard, I can do anything. I learned to get up when I fell down, when I lost. I learned toughness. I learned that if I loved something enough and I worked hard at it, I could succeed. I learned that working really really hard isn’t always fun, but it is rewarding. And that nothing worthwhile comes without blood, sweat and tears.

To this day nothing will ever be as hard. So I can do anything, really. I can always endure. I can push through the toughest of times. I have untapped wells of resilience that I can unearth when needed.

And I’m not alone. Here’s what sports participation does for teenaged girls:

Improves physical health Girls who play sports have a 20% lower risk of chronic diseases in adulthood. Sports also promote healthy habits, with 70% of female athletes reporting better nutrition choices compared to non-athletes.

Improves Mental Health: 65% of teenage girls in sports report higher confidence levels than their non-athletic peers. Physical activity triggers endorphin release, helping manage stress, with 80% of female athletes noting improved mood after practice.

Academic Success: Female high school athletes have a higher GPA and are 15% more likely to attend college.

Reduced Risky Behaviors: Sports participation correlates with lower rates of substance abuse and teen pregnancy. A 2020 study showed that female athletes were 30% less likely to smoke or use drugs and 25% less likely to engage in early sexual activity, as sports provide structure and positive peer groups. A study from the Women's Sports Foundation indicates that high school girls who play sports are 80% less likely to get pregnant compared to those who do not participate in sports.

Long-Term Career Benefits: 52% of women in senior management roles played sports as teens.

And so despite the challenges I faced as an elite level gymnast, I definitely credit my athletic background with my success as an adult.

I moved on from gymnastics to go to college and then work in the corporate world for over 30 years. I rose to the highest ranks of the C-suite at Levi’s and worked there for 23 years. I endured frustration and failure, I was passed over repeatedly for jobs I deserved and I never gave up. And I helped lead an iconic brand back from the brink of bankruptcy. And became the Brand President, which I am still quite proud of.

And now I’ve started my own brand. And believe me, a start up requires resilience. It is really hard.

But I can hack it. In sports, even if you are incredibly successful, you lose more than you win. Unless you are Simone Biles who went 10 years without losing a competition.

(A note on this because it is so amazing! Biles maintained an unbeaten streak in all-around competitions from 2013 to 2024. This streak began with her senior international debut at the 2013 American Cup and continued through multiple U.S. Championships, World Championships, and the 2016 and 2024 Olympic Games. When she competed, she won. For ten years. And yes, I know she pulled out of the 2021 Olympics and everyone can have their own opinion about that.)

But usually, even the greats — they lose a lot.

Winners can handle losing. That’s when the resilience kicks in.

Losing makes me want to do better, get better, beat myself, exceed my own expectations.

But if it isn’t a fair fight? Well, that’s a different story. Then I get frustrated and want to pack up my things and go home. (In reality, I still stay and fight — but I want to pack up my things and go home.)

And now, across the country we see boys stealing girls opportunities in sports. They are winning state championships, stealing trophies and records and soon, college scholarships.

And it is only accelerating. Since the President signed the executive order to protect girls’ sports back in February, we’ve seen close to 100 medals stolen from girls by boys in girls’ high school track and field. This year alone.

Pretty soon in blue states like Colorado and California all the girls’ trophies will be won by boys. This is not a fair fight. And the end result will inevitably be that:

1. Girls’ sports no longer exist (arguably we are already there);

2. Girls will stop playing. Because why bother if you have no shot at winning? If you don’t have a fair shot at even making the team?

Well, not if I have anything to say about it.

Title IX is mine. And yours. And my daughter’s.

So please, keep fighting with me. Stand up. Go to school board meetings. Use your voice. Wear the t-shirt or the cap. Because when you do, it moves the permission structure and invites someone else who agrees with us but has been quiet — which is almost everyone — to speak up.

When the 80% of Americans who agree with us stand up and say so, we can’t lose. And it is our responsibility to coax them out of their silence to fight for truth and women’s rights.

Title IX is ours. It doesn’t belong to boys or gender ideologues or the pronoun people who think “gender identity” IS sex.

Title IX IS MINE. I’m not giving it away. Not without a fight. And I have a lot of fight in me.

Happy June 23rd.

Support the movement at TheTruthFits.com.

PS please check out our website tomorrow at XX-XY Athletics for an exciting new product launch in celebration of Title IX!