Steam Donkey Racing’s own Ryan Parton was recently profiled by Triathlon Canada. The story highlights our Diversity Kicks Ass campaign and our commitment to making our event inclusive and welcoming to everybody.
From the article . . .
Made with the best of intentions, the modification was radical. Perhaps too extreme in the minds of some?
Ryan Parton did not know. But, as race director of the Frontrunners Fit Chiropractic Dodge City X off-road triathlon, he was certainly braced for backlash.
Parton and the other organizers, keen to enhance inclusivity and fairness, had decided to ditch traditional gender categories. Dropping the male category entirely, they opted for female and open classifications, adding a non-competitive “gender non-binary” option.
Now, more than a year later, there still hasn’t been a discouraging word about the groundbreaking restructuring of the Cumberland. B.C.-based race, which is held every September.
“No one should ever be made to feel like a round peg trying to fit into a square hole,” Parton explained in a press release leading up to the 2023 race, the first to include the revamp.
