Internet Reacts to Athlete Getting Her Period During a Race

“Wow, that’s not Emma’s best pic! They could totally crop it better,” remarked Xavier Coppock, a triathlon coach, on a post showing Emma finishing a race in a bloodstained one-piece swimsuit. And that’s when the whole debate kicked off.

Emma Pallant-Browne is a talented British athlete, excelling in triathlon, duathlon, and aquathlon. She achieved a silver medal at the 2022 World Long Distance Triathlon Championships and won two medals in the prestigious Ironman 70.3 competition (silver in 2017 and bronze in 2022). In the same year, she also claimed a gold medal at the European Championship.

Recently, Emma participated in the PTO Tour European Open in Ibiza, where she finished in an impressive fourth place. Notably, this came just a few days after her victory at the Duathlon World Championship. Emma’s dedication and skill in multiple sports highlight her remarkable talent and success in endurance sports.

Meanwhile, Xavier Coppock, another triathlete, chose to leave a comment on one of Emma’s photos posted on the official profile of the competition held in Spain. The image showed Emma running with a red stain, a result of her period.

While it’s likely that Xavier’s comment was not meant to be harmful, it created a buzz on social media. Emma promptly responded by tagging him in the same post and dedicating a few lines to him.

Five days later, the athlete shared the same photo on her profile, accompanied by a significant message. “Celebrating the amazing women in sport and the equally amazing men who champion them. Humbled by the number of messages I’ve had from both men and women about the unglamorous reality of racing on your period,” she began.

In her post, Emma explained the factors that led to the situation in the photo. She mentioned that she had chosen a light pink outfit to avoid attracting the sun’s rays during the competition. Additionally, when she rolled over on her bike, it made the stain more visible. Despite her efforts to remove the stain by squirting water at the hydration stations, it unfortunately remained unchanged.

“This is a women’s sport and the more barriers we can break, the better. After a long career, you end up with a photo like this, but the idea of editing it means there is something wrong with it. I share it because there’s really nothing wrong with it, it’s a natural thing,” she said.

“So if you have a photo like this, save it, cherish it, and remember how you performed on a tough day because one day you might just be able to help someone else with it,” she concluded in her powerful message.

After the original post was taken down, Emma posted the same photo on her profile. Her response turned a simple comment into an empowering message about menstruation. It got people thinking about breaking taboos around natural things we shouldn’t be shy to talk about. Emma’s openness encourages us to embrace and normalize these topics without hesitation.

Engaging in sports at a professional level is fulfilling, but it can also be extremely stressful and exhausting. The world of sports is tough and holds many secrets that remain unknown to us.