Menstruation shouldn't be another hurdle female athletes have to overcome

When I was in grade six at Burton Ettinger Elementary School in Halifax, I was very good at high jump. My steps and run up were strong and I could contort myself to leap over the bar. That was also the time that my 12-year-old body went through "the change." Yes, the devastating effects of puberty hit and not only was my back sore, I dealt with overwhelming cramps and bloating. 

I remember asking my mom why a merciful God would subject women to this. The worst part was not only being young, it was also feeling ashamed about a situation that is normal and natural. I was too embarrassed to tell my gym teacher, Mrs. Tokaryk, that I was feeling uncomfortable and I was so anxious about leaking through my neon spandex shorts. I had previously beaten the qualifying standard to get to the city finals but on this day, it wasn't going to happen. Mrs.Tokaryk looked visibly annoyed as my run up was slower and I pretended to giggle, veered and purposely botched the jump. I felt horrible inside and even worse when my best friend whispered to me after class, "What's going on? I know you can make that jump!" I never excelled in high jump but I also never forgot that moment. 

As I continued to play sports my whole life, I managed "the curse" with the same jokes, quiet fatigue, and covering up my physical pain like every other woman or girl.

But what about professional athletes, who must use their bodies to make a living? They can't negotiate to work from home and log in on the computer with a hot water bottle on their abdomen as I have the privilege of doing some days.

Women and non-binary people have had tales to tell about their menstrual cycles since time immemorial. For athletes, amateur and professional, some of the obstacles are the same. 

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Information from the recently released Rally Report by Canadian Women and Sport said that "nearly half of girls aged 13 to 18 feel that their menstrual cycle negatively influences their sport and physical activity participation." Girls reported they experience lower energy levels and manage pain and cramps. In addition to the physical effects, many feel self-conscious and are worried about leaking and staining, which becomes a distraction from playing.

We aren't too long past the time when feminine hygiene products sponsoring women's sport was not considered because periods were taboo. Why is something so banal treated like it's something to be ashamed of? 

Carly Jackson is a goaltender with the Toronto Sceptres of the PWHL. Jackson told me that the first time they got her period was a difficult experience.

"I was trying out for a boys team when I got mine and that was because I was in my own private girls locker room, which was a closet," Jackson recalled. "My bathroom was an outdoor porta-potty that was shared with construction workers and that was when I got my period for the first time.

"I actually scrambled and I went into the public bathroom and the dispensers in there were empty. And so I was thinking okay, what did my mom tell me and working through it that way." 

Jackson, along with WNBA player Kia Nurse, talked about the necessity of education and accessibility of products. As athletes, their words hold a lot of weight. One — Greta Meyer, a former lacrosse player at Stanford University — even went so far as to start her own company.  She co-founded a new brand of tampons called Sequel, a brand specifically for athletes having their period.

"I'm running down the field, I don't want to have this leakage and this distraction," Meyer said. "With my teammates, it was often a question, 'Can you check me?' And that's common amongst a lot of female athletes."

There still needs to be infrastructure and facilities that support athletes during their cycle.