Breckynn Willis, the hotshot 17-year-old high school swimmer in Anchorage, Alaska who was disqualified over a uniform violation, has had her title reinstated.
Willis was disqualified during a swimming event in 2019 after it was determined that her swimsuit was too revealing and distasteful to be a competitor. She was stripped of her victory, leading to an investigation of these events.
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Willis, a champion swimmer in Dimond High School, was disqualified because of how her bathing suit fit her body which was not a personal choice but a standard uniform.
A well-known swim coach, Lauren Langford, who had previously coached Willis and her sister when they were younger, found the incident to be a case of body shaming, sexism, and racism. She told Anchorage Daily News, “It was so targeted. It was so intentional and so individual,” Langford said. She believes the swimmer was targeted because of her “curvy” figure.
The Blog that Called Out the Shade
Langford wrote about how girls are unfairly policed for their bodies in a blog that has since gone viral. She proceeded to state that in her opinion, Willis was a target of discrimination because she is of mixed-race with curvier features. She also mentioned that she had never seen or known of a swimmer who adjusted their swimsuit on purpose to make it more revealing or provocative.
She did not hesitate when calling out the official ruling as racially-focused and intentional, adding that Willis was one of three girls on the team who looked like her. None of the other girls were disqualified even though they were all wearing the same standard swimwear uniform.
Other Reactions
In addition to the ASAA’s investigation, the Anchorage School District also investigated the manner and determined that Willis was treated unfairly. The district let out a statement saying, their swimmer was “targeted based solely on how a standard, school-issued uniform happened to fit the shape of her body,” according to ABC 13.
The Reinstating of the Victory
Even though Willis was stripped of her victory, the Alaska School Activities Association (ASAA) decided to reverse the decision. After investigating the issue, it was determined that Willis would have the points from her win reinstated for her well-earned title, according to TIME.
In the ruling, there was also a reminder included for referees, stating that it should not assume that competitors are deliberating altering their outfits. Instead, they should assume that the swimwear at competitions is permitted and legal.
Willis became a focus of national attention due to this incident, according to Anchorage Daily News. Her name also became an active Twitter hashtag. Her excellent swimming record and results through high school won her a scholarship to keep swimming at Concordia University Irvine this August, where swimming recruits from other states knew her story even before they met her.
“Looking back on it, it is kind of ridiculous,” Willis said outside her family’s Anchorage home. “When I think about it, I laugh a little bit, because I’m like, ‘That was even a conversation? It had to be that big of an issue?’” It is safe to say that this incident has left its mark on Willis, as well as the state of high school swimming in Alaska today.
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