A 50-year-old transgender woman has sparked backlash among parents after she competed in a swim meet against teenage girls in Canada.

Furious parents claim Melody Wiseheart shared a locker room with their young daughters during the Trojan Cup in Barrie, Ontario, which took place between December 1-3 and featured age groups from eight and younger to 16 and older.

Wiseheart, a professor at York university, attended the competition at the East Bayfield Community Centre and participated in several events, including the women’s 1500m freestyle for athletes 16 and older, where she placed second.

The parent of one of the children who participated in the meet told the Toronto Sun ‘the girls were terrified.’ 

They claimed parents used towels to setup a makeshift tent to protect the girls that had to change in front of Wiseheart.

Furious parents claim Melody Wiseheart shared a locker room with their young daughters during the Trojan Cup in Barrie, Ontario

They claimed parents used towels to setup a makeshift tent to protect the girls that had to change in front of Wiseheart, seen in orange swim cap at the meet earlier this month

The event was sanctioned by Swimming Canada and Swim Ontario which issued a statement to the Toronto Sun defending Wiseheart’s participation.

They said: ‘In partnership with Swimming Canada, Swim Ontario has a robust system of policies, procedures and rules that support our member clubs in providing a competitive experience that is safe, welcoming and inclusive for all participants,

‘Swimming Canada and Swim Ontario believe swimming is for everyone…  people of all shapes, sizes, genders, beliefs and backgrounds should have the opportunity to swim to the best of their ability… with the expectation that our registrants treat each other with respect and dignity, and keep our sport environment free from harassment and abuse.’

Wiseheart, formerly Nicholas Cepeda, has reportedly been competing against girls since 2019.

Her research at York university focuses on aging, children and youth behavioral science. 

DailyMail.com has reached out to Wiseheart for comment on this story. 

The story is just the latest source of outrage for young female athletes and their parents who claim it’s not fair for them to have to compete against trans women. 

Last month a Seattle high school student spoke to DailyMail.com, denouncing her state’s athletic association for allowing a transgender athlete to ‘take a girl’s spot’.

The freshman says she and her teammates do not have an issue with with the trans athlete’s identity – they just don’t want to compete against her.

Despite widespread fear about speaking up against trans athletes in sports, female athletes have began organizing to fight against what they say is discriminations against women.

Wiseheart has reportedly been competing against girls since 2019. Her research at York university focuses on aging, children and youth behavioral science

In October,  the Roanoke College Women’s Swim Team held an event with activist Riley Gaines and ICONS, demanding the NCAA and US Swimming stop allowing transgender women to compete in female sports.

The case has strong echoes of that of Lia Thomas, who last year became the first trans athlete to win an NCAA Division I national championship.

‘I started swimming competitively when I was seven years old,’ junior Susanna Price told the crowd. ‘This year has been the first year of my life where swimming has been emotionally draining. Knowing that biological men are allowed to compete in sports has been the most disheartening experience of my life.’

Sophomore Carter Satterfield said: ‘We are calling on the NCAA to protect female athletes and grant us fair sports – in every sport. We are calling on US Swimming to recognize that girls at every level deserve to know they are valuable enough to be given a fair race.’

‘I started swimming competitively when I was seven years old,’ junior Susanna Price told the crowd. ‘This year has been the first year of my life where swimming has been emotionally draining. Knowing that biological men are allowed to compete in sports has been the most disheartening experience of my life.’

Sophomore Carter Satterfield said: ‘We are calling on the NCAA to protect female athletes and grant us fair sports – in every sport. We are calling on US Swimming to recognize that girls at every level deserve to know they are valuable enough to be given a fair race.’