Luke Wright ’29
Photo courtesy of CNN
Since 1976, anabolic steroids have been strictly banned at the Olympics in an attempt to keep athletes safe and events fair. Athletes have been consistently tested, with thousands disqualified for their use. However, a new competition seeks to challenge that ideal. The Enhanced Games are a series of athletic events where athletes are encouraged to take performance-enhancing steroids in a safe and healthy environment. The goal? To challenge the limits of human nature and see what athletes are truly capable of.
Currently, the only sports they offer are swimming, weightlifting, and track, but they have already broken records. During a private event in February 2025, Enhanced Games swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev unofficially broke the world record for the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 20.89 seconds, compared to Cesar Cielo’s 20.91 record in 2009. While it might not seem like much, a difference of .02 seconds is substantial in competitive swimming, and it’s enough to prove that The Enhanced Games aren’t just an aspiration, but a real contender in professional sports.
Most students at Episcopal are divided on their opinions of the Enhanced Games. To some, taking performance-boosting drugs in an environment such as the Enhanced Games is much safer than how the same drugs are used today—whether through the black market or otherwise. Owen Anderson ‘29 says, “I definitely think that it [taking performance-enhancing steroids] would just be safer with medical supervision because we’re able to make sure that everyone’s taking the same stuff safely. Since everyone’s doing it supervised, they’re not doing more than they should. And it takes away that factor of unhealthiness where they could be hurt.”
However, Anderson isn’t supportive of the games as a whole, citing concerns with the ethics of the concept of the Enhanced Games. “I think that [the Enhanced Games] is great just as a way to have fun and explore opportunities like steroids and hormones, but I don’t think that they should count as records because it’s not naturally how people function, and not everyone has access to things like this, so it’s not fair.”
Chris Synder ’27 is also split, voicing concerns over the specific steroids that Enhanced Games athletes use. “You know, in these Enhanced Games–what is in the steroids that these athletes are using? How do you make them? Are they destroying the athletes’ bodies?” However, he also appreciates the upside of such competitions, “I think if science is allowing us to push human performance, we should continue–we should embrace it, and see what we can do.”
On the other hand, most adults in the EA community take an opposing view. To Director of Aquatics Brian Kline, the Enhanced Games de-emphasize the very values that athletics are supposed to instill, potentially spreading a dangerous message to younger generations. “The Enhanced Games raise an interesting question about what we value in sport: pure performance or the integrity of human effort. While I understand the curiosity behind pushing physical limits, I believe true athletic achievement comes from discipline, training, and natural ability. Encouraging performance-enhancing drugs shifts the focus from character and commitment to chemistry and risk. At Episcopal, we want our athletes to grow through hard work and fair play; that’s what gives sport its lasting meaning.”
Middle School Chaplain and track coach Rev. Michael Palmisano agrees, emphasizing the havoc that doping wreaks on athletes’ bodies. “It’s dangerous to dope. It’s simply not good, beyond just fairness, it’s not a great thing to do.” He also notes, “There should be limits [on steroid usage]. I just don’t really know what they are right now.”
The Enhanced Games are a deeply contentious, perplexing event. They challenge ideals held for decades while striving to make humans better than ever seen before, sparking intense disagreement. While some see the potential excitement and awe the Enhanced Games could potentially create, others notice the dangerous and even immoral side of these games. As the debate rages on, one question remains: are the Enhanced Games the future of sport–an opportunity to achieve the upper limits of human potential–or the end of them as we know it?
