Michigan-native trans powerlifter JayCee Cooper, who recently won a legal case against USA Powerlifting (USAPL), has supportive parents, with her father being a track and field athlete.
While JayCee has kept her life relatively private in the media, before her victory over USAPL, not much was known about her parents.
What is known is that JayCee has shared in interviews that her father was a track and field athlete, which introduced her to the athletic world from the beginning.
When an interviewer asked, “So, can you tell us a little bit about your relationship with sports? Did you play sports when you were young?” her answer was;
Yeah, sports have been such an inherent part of my life. I can’t remember a time when it wasn’t such the focal point of my existence, really. My father was a track and field coach and from a very early age I was put into things like soccer and t-ball and I played roller hockey
Apart from this, JayCee has not mentioned her parents or any other family members in any interviews or conferences.
While JayCee Keeps Her Family Life Private, She Now Brings Change to USA Powerlifting by Winning the Legal Case
JayCee has been fighting for her rights for a few years. In January 2019, JayCee filed a discrimination charge with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights.
She argued that USAPL was violating the Minnesota Human Rights Act by banning transgender women from competing.
Later, in early 2021, she moved forward by filing a full lawsuit against USAPL in state court.
During this time she became an advocate for transgender athletes, speaking publicly about fairness, inclusion, and the importance of allowing all athletes a chance to participate.
In 2023 a Minnesota district court ruled in JayCee’s favor, finding that USAPL’s policy was discriminatory.
The court ordered the organization to allow transgender women to compete in the women’s division.
After years of struggle, the Minnesota Supreme Court confirmed the decision on October 22, 2025.
Minnesota Supreme Court orders USA Powerlifting to let trans athlete JayCee Cooper compete against women, calling the ban discriminatory. pic.twitter.com/WgteZrk77P
— Catch Up (@CatchUpFeed) October 30, 2025
They ruled USAPL’s exclusion of transgender women violated the state’s Human Rights Act.
This victory of JyaCee sets an essential precedent for transgender athletes nationwide, promoting inclusion and equality in competitive sports.
