Trans US track star Sadie Schreiner isn’t holding back after Donald Trump’s sweeping executive order blocked trans women from competing in women’s sports. The 21-year-old sprinter, a two-time NCAA All-American, says the move has left her feeling “defeated” and sidelined—quite literally—from the athletic world she loves.
Trump’s latest executive flex, labeled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” is being marketed by conservatives as a crusade for fairness. But for athletes like Schreiner, it’s just another blow in a long line of transphobic policy punches. The order, now in effect, bars trans women from female sports divisions at high school, university, and amateur levels. Schreiner, who began her transition in high school and has been on hormone therapy ever since, says it’s gutting.
“This hormone therapy shrank my ligaments, it made me shorter, weaker, redistributed my fat, and lowered my lung capacity,” she said. “My biology is fundamentally different than a cis man’s.” Schreiner doesn’t just talk the talk—her medical data backs it up, showing undetectable testosterone levels and a body no longer capable of outperforming cisgender competitors.
Running Out of Options
But thanks to Trump’s decree, Schreiner is no longer eligible to compete in NCAA events. Instead, she pivoted to USA Track & Field races—only to be left running solo on the track, with no competitors in her division. “Brutal,” she called it. And just when she found a way forward, the rules changed again. USA Track & Field aligned its policies with World Athletics, locking Schreiner out once more.
“They silently changed their policy,” Schreiner said. “It means there’s likely no more meets in the United States that I could run.” It’s the kind of quiet erasure that hits hardest—not with a bang, but with a policy update.
Her father, Greg Schreiner, summed up what many parents of trans athletes feel: heartbreak. “You want to be excited about and celebrate your kids,” he said. “I love to watch Sadie run and thinking that this is potentially her last race in this country, you become melancholy.”
A Wider Impact on the LGBTQ Community
Schreiner’s story isn’t just about one athlete—it’s a snapshot of a nationwide rollback of trans rights under the guise of sports regulation. By pushing legislation based on fear, not fact, the administration is isolating young trans athletes and cutting them off from community, competition, and opportunity.
For the LGBTQ community, this isn’t just about track meets. It’s about recognition, inclusion, and survival. When trans athletes are erased from the field, the message is clear: you’re not welcome here. But athletes like Schreiner continue to resist that message—by speaking out, stepping up, and sprinting forward, even if no one else is on the track.
Sadie Schreiner may have been pushed out of official races, but her voice is louder than ever. And in the race for trans equality, she’s still leading the pack.