Molly Cameron Never Wanted to Be Anything But Herself

Molly Cameron can’t remember how long she’s been racing bikes. Since the late 1990s, for sure—maybe 1998, or perhaps 1999. She doesn’t spend too much time trying to pinpoint a moment in the past. She’s too busy working on the future. Few people in the bike world can remember a time when Cameron wasn’t present in the racing community. When folks talk about her, they all say a version of the same thing: “Molly has always just been Molly”; “Molly has just always been around.” In fact, the 45-year-old has been involved in cycling for more than two decades, on the racing scene and as the longtime owner of a bike shop in Portland, Oregon. Everyone knew that Cameron’s situation was different, but it never really registered much because, again, Molly was just Molly. And while the sport and the industry have been her life and her livelihood, they have also, in many ways, failed her. She’s been an openly transgender athlete since a time when people in sports knew even less about what to do with trans athletes than they do today. But she put her head down, rode her bike, and pretended she wasn’t bothered by the roadblocks that were thrown in her way. “I never led with my identity or my politics,” Cameron says. “I was just, like, ‘I’m here to ride my bike and try to ride my bike as fast I can.’ Everything else came second. I never hid it. I’m an openly transgender athlete, but I’ve never wanted to push.” But now, as the spotlight on trans athletes intensifies in venues across the country—from local school districts to state legislatures to the Olympics—cycling is at a crossroads that threatens its potential to hold races and events that focus on the sport. Those in power can no longer ignore the conversation about how to better support trans athletes. And so, as Cameron’s racing career winds down, her profile has exploded onto a national stage. After flying mostly under the radar for the past 20 years, she has suddenly found herself at the forefront of a high-stakes advocacy effort she never signed up for. [View in Browser]( [Bicycling]( [SHOP]( [EXCLUSIVE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [Molly Cameron Never Wanted to Be Anything But Herself]( [Molly Cameron Never Wanted to Be Anything But Herself]( Molly Cameron can’t remember how long she’s been racing bikes. Since the late 1990s, for sure—maybe 1998, or perhaps 1999. She doesn’t spend too much time trying to pinpoint a moment in the past. She’s too busy working on the future. Few people in the bike world can remember a time when Cameron wasn’t present in the racing community. When folks talk about her, they all say a version of the same thing: “Molly has always just been Molly”; “Molly has just always been around.” In fact, the 45-year-old has been involved in cycling for more than two decades, on the racing scene and as the longtime owner of a bike shop in Portland, Oregon. Everyone knew that Cameron’s situation was different, but it never really registered much because, again, Molly was just Molly. And while the sport and the industry have been her life and her livelihood, they have also, in many ways, failed her. She’s been an openly transgender athlete since a time when people in sports knew even less about what to do with trans athletes than they do today. But she put her head down, rode her bike, and pretended she wasn’t bothered by the roadblocks that were thrown in her way. “I never led with my identity or my politics,” Cameron says. “I was just, like, ‘I’m here to ride my bike and try to ride my bike as fast I can.’ Everything else came second. I never hid it. I’m an openly transgender athlete, but I’ve never wanted to push.” But now, as the spotlight on trans athletes intensifies in venues across the country—from local school districts to state legislatures to the Olympics—cycling is at a crossroads that threatens its potential to hold races and events that focus on the sport. Those in power can no longer ignore the conversation about how to better support trans athletes. And so, as Cameron’s racing career winds down, her profile has exploded onto a national stage. After flying mostly under the radar for the past 20 years, she has suddenly found herself at the forefront of a high-stakes advocacy effort she never signed up for. [Read More](   [This Sled Workout Has Everything to Better Your Fitness From All Angles]( [This Sled Workout Has Everything to Better Your Fitness From All Angles]( The prowler sled is more versatile than you think. 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