Sarah Gibson (circled) raced the reserve crew at the 2015 Boat Race was hailed as a win for equality and women were finally able to compete racing on the same stretch of the Thames as the men.
But a place on the Cambridge University women's reserve team that year was taken by a biological male, it can be detected.
Sarah Gibson was described in pamphlet published by Stonewall in 2018 as “the first openly transgender person to compete in [the race's] 187-year history.”
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Gibson's election in the Blondie boat deprived the biological woman of Half-Blue and life membership in the Cambridge University Rowing Club.
Gibson told Stonewall: “I wanted to take part in boat races since I was a little kid and I was thrilled when the opportunity presented itself. The club and the coaches were very supportive. Without such an inclusive environment, I would not have been able to enjoy it or reach my full potential.” It is understood that Gibson attended an elite all-boys school and now considers himself non-binary. “Cambridge didn't know what to do,” a source familiar with the situation said.
“Gibson already knew how to row, having learned to row at an elite boys' school. At the university, they believed that they should accept people exactly as they declared themselves. Gibson only had to say: “I'm a woman, I'm right for this team.” There was no mechanism to check testosterone levels. Cambridge thought they needed to be inclusive, so they just took Gibson at face value.
“Everyone knew that Gibson was biologically male. But they thought they shouldn't be asked personal questions about testosterone levels, a woman's official status, or surgery. They thought it was too personal and intimate. No one thought that they would be able to challenge.
Sarah Gibson during an ergonomics session at Goldie Boathouse, March 12, 2015 : Getty Images/Richard Heathcote
Boat racing was hailed by many 2015 as a victory for equality.
No women's match was played at all between 1953 and 1964, when the Oxford University Women's Boat Club was dissolved. They have been waiting since 1927 when the women's varsity match was just a time trial because racing was considered indecent for women to enjoy such a moment.
“It was a big celebration,” the source said. “It was decided not to show schools that had women because they didn't want to draw attention to the fact that Gibson was an all-boys school. After all, some young woman squandered the chance to wear the varsity colors and be in the varsity rowing club for the rest of her life.
“Gibson said that racing was a childhood dream. Yes, for you and many other people. Every year a big dinner is held after the rowing races. This year there were 400 people and the oldest woman was over 90. It was huge. And some young woman wasn't there because she didn't have the opportunity to row in the boat after someone born male claimed to be female.”
Planet Normal Podcast Episode 146
Jane Sullivan, recently retired Rowing Coach, told The Telegraph Planet Normal podcast: “When you are in Blondie or one of the best boats, you are part of an exclusive club. You are allowed to have a Blondie blazer. This gives you access to this Blues and Semi-Blues club and it stays with you for life. The woman who missed out in 2015 will never go down in history. She will not be part of this club. And I think it's a shame. I sympathize with her.”
Listen to Planet Normal, the Telegraph's weekly podcast with news and opinions from outside the bubble, using the audio player above or in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast app.
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