Christine Bulma's Choice and Challenges

Christine Bulma, a Namibian athlete, faced a pivotal decision when confronted with the demand to alter her testosterone levels to continue competing in the female category. She opted to take medication rather than abandon her passion for racing, but the process of adjusting her hormone levels proved to be complex. With limited guidance from World Athletics, Christine’s medical team, led by her coach’s wife Elise, struggled to find effective methods to lower her testosterone within the required limits, which lacked clear protocols. Ultimately, they resorted to a combination of oral contraceptives and injections, drawing concern over the side effects and long-term health implications, placing them in ethically murky territory regarding the treatment methods they had to adopt for compliance with competitive regulations.