In early 2025, after years of contemplation, Anne Isabella Coomes made a bold return to her beloved sport, competitive swimming. As an aquatic aficionado, Anne has been swimming for over 60 years—she often says she’s been swimming “as long as I’ve known I was transgender.” After a two-year hiatus, the 67-year-old decided to dive back into the pool lanes in January, but not without challenges.
In 2023, the UK’s competitive swimming authority, Swim England, revised its policy on trans and non-binary athletes, effectively pushing trans feminine competitors out of the “female” category. Anne understood she faced an uphill battle.
“I thought, I’m going to take up competition again,” she reflects. “Then it hit me—I remembered a conversation from 2023 with someone from the diversity and inclusion office. They called to inform me about the new regulations.”
Anne Coombes Faced Challenges with Swimwear Regulations
In 2022, Anne’s gender identity hadn’t created issues when she competed in the women’s category, including at a national 200-meter race in Sheffield. She had navigated the previous regulations, undergoing interviews about her health and submitting extensive paperwork.
Now, despite being approved to compete before the policy change, Anne faced an ultimatum: out herself by competing in the newly established “open” category or abandon the sport she loves. Instead, she chose a third option—proving the absurdity of Swim England’s new policy through a form of compliance.
“I said to Swim England, ‘Can I clarify which costume I need to wear?’” Anne recalls. “In swimming, costumes matter because they streamline movement through water. The more costume you wear, the more speed you gain.”
For her return race, Anne decided to wear traditional “male” swimwear, completely topless, to demonstrate the ridiculousness of the new rules. “There’s a morality clause,” she explains. “It’s designed to prevent high-cut legs, but it’s rooted in skin coverage. When I asked if I needed to wear a female costume, they quickly confirmed that I must, claiming my nipples were now offensive.”
“So I imagined this scenario: I’d be standing on the starting blocks in a female costume, while everyone else was in swim shorts. The audience would see me and immediately recognize I was transgender. Then they’d look at the scoreboard and see my name—it would out me on the spot, and that’s not allowed.”
Using Her Platform to Advocate for Trans Rights
Swim England informed Anne that while she didn’t need referee approval to wear male gear, they could disqualify her if she chose to do so. Her goal was clear: to highlight the illogical standards imposed on her and other trans women.
“If you’re a trans woman, you must wear a women’s costume but compete against men. This contradiction is what I’m trying to expose,” she states firmly.
Despite the challenges, Anne remains undeterred. Swimming is now a means for her to advocate for trans rights. “It’s a vehicle for me to raise trans issues,” she asserts. “We need support now more than ever. With recent Supreme Court rulings and rising discrimination, I want to use my swimming platform to elevate our visibility.”
“Trans people need to assert themselves. Ideally, I’d prefer to blend in and be treated as a woman, but I can’t. I have to stand up and be counted.”
Choosing between her passion for swimming and her decision to transition is both heartbreaking and absurd. Anne believes she is likely the only ‘masters’ level swimmer—a category for over-25s—who is an openly transgender woman.
“It’s quite a fuss for Swim England to make over me,” she jokes. “It highlights how ridiculous this situation is. What if they didn’t know me? How would they categorize me then?”
“This shouldn’t be a problem. There are far bigger issues in this country that need addressing. Transgender people aren’t the problem; society’s response to us is.”
Conclusion
Anne Isabella Coomes’ journey serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggles faced by transgender athletes and the importance of inclusivity in sports. Her determination to challenge outdated policies not only highlights the absurdity of discrimination but also emphasizes the need for a more equitable environment for all athletes, regardless of gender identity.
