Opinion | While some public officials will not raise their voices in defense of the girls in their states, we will – for ourselves, for our teammates and for the countless female athletes to follow.

Last week I attended a roundtable with Attorney General Pam Bondi and several state attorneys general on protecting women’s sports. As I have been so many times before when donning a Maine uniform, I was proud to represent my state, my community and my teammates.

But unfortunately, my own state attorney general, who should be an advocate for the interests of women and girls in the state of Maine, did not even bother to attend. In fact, none of the state attorneys general for any of the five female athletes included in the discussion came to the meeting.

While these public officials will not raise their voices in defense of the girls in their states, we will – for ourselves, for our teammates and for the countless female athletes to follow.

We know we are not alone. We are backed in this fight against our own state governments by the American people, Attorney General Bondi, and President Donald Trump.

As a three-sport varsity athlete in Maine – soccer, Nordic skiing, and track and field – I was shocked and disappointed to hear Maine Gov. Janet Mills’ recent comments that she intends to continue her fight against the executive order banning biological males from women’s and girls’ sports.

I know the level of grit, determination, passion and sacrifice it takes to excel in physical competition. Girls strive tirelessly for years to hone their skills and perfect their performance.