Swimmer
Brecklynn's life revolved around swimming. She swam every day and dreamed to win a scholarship and compete in the Olympics.
She competed in several competitions but she never imagined that it would end badly one day.
The Day Of Competition
There were a lot of guests at the competition. She loved the exhilaration and was confident that she would score brilliantly in the 100-meter freestyle.
Everything was fine, except for one judge's strange behavior.
Disqualification
Once the whistle was blown, Breckynn started to swim. She did it flawlessly. But the following statement announced shocked everyone.
“Breckynn Willis of Diamond High School is disqualified.” What? No one could believe it.
It Couldn't Be Serious
She looked over at Lauren Langly, her coach. But even she didn't understand what had just happened.
Only a severe cause can result in disqualification, and Breckynn was waiting for the explanation.
Too Much Skin
The explanation was made. The coach couldn't believe what the judge was saying. “The girl’s swimsuit was so far up I could see butt cheek touching butt cheek.’’
They thought the referee had eliminated the student because she was showing too much skin, but there was another reason.
Swimsuit
It was odd since all of the females wore the same suit. Breckynn couldn't do that on purpose since it's quite uncomfortable, even in a regular swimsuit.
However, she soon discovers the true cause behind her elimination.
The Real Reason
Lauren Langford filed an official complaint with the Alaska School Activities Association. But the response fell short of their expectations. The swimmer was judged by the referee for a very disgusting reason.
The girl was curvier than her teammates and of mixed-race heritage. Was this the true reason? It sparked genuine outrage.
Injustice
And this didn't end just with her. Not only Breckynn but her sister as well had been kicked out for their appearance. Everyone was furious.
“The rest of her team was wearing the same uniform, and she was the only one disqualified. It is my opinion that she has been targeted and singled out over the course of the last year,” said the coach.
The Modesty Rule
Jill Blackstone, the referee, named his explanation the "modesty rule." But the reality was quite different.
He didn't like the way the swimwear looked on Breckynn's figure.
The Coach
Lauren, Breckynn's coach, addressed the controversy in a blog post. The "modesty rule" was implemented to police the bodies of young girls. According to her, the disqualification was solely due to skin color and figure.
“It has caused my own athletes to be needlessly self-conscious about the appearance of their bodies, which preoccupies them just as much, if not more, than the quality of their performances. What’s clear is that these girls’ bodies are being policed — not their uniforms.”
That Wasn’t All
She continued in her post, “These young swimmers aren’t being punished for wearing their suits in scandalous or provocative ways, but rather, because their ample hips, full chests, and dark complexions look different than their willowy, thin, and mostly pallid teammates. Some will argue this scandal has nothing to do with race.”
“…The issue becomes glaring when officials are overheard acknowledging that white athletes are baring too much skin as well, yet they’ve never been disqualified.”
"Don’t Look!"
A strange incident was connected to this story some time ago. A parent snapped Breckynn's rear while she was wearing a swimsuit. The parent wrote, " uniform violation!" and others added, “that for the sake of their sons, the mother of these young ladies should cover up her daughters.”
Coach Langford added in her post, “If you do not like the way that swimsuits fit on these girls’ bodies, then don’t look; they are minors, children, and no one should be looking at them anyway. We cannot take back what has already unfolded, but we can make sure it does not happen going forward.”
Kelly Clarkson Show
This post went viral, and the story made its way to Kelly Clarkson. Breckynn and her coach were invited to The Kelly Clarkson Show.
Viewers were outraged at the situation and left several comments under the video of this show episode.
Something Important
After the story went viral, the Association overturned the decision and reinstated her points and title.
This was not the only good outcome. There is more to the story.
Happy End
Breckynn received several college offers and got a chance for a scholarship.
This crazy incident ended and paved the way for her to focus on her dreams again.