Caitlyn Jenner rose to fame as one of the most celebrated athletes of the 1970s, winning a gold medal and setting a world record at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. After retiring from sports, she transitioned into a career in entertainment.
However, in recent years, Caitlyn has been in the public eye for her brave decision to come out as transgender and undergo hormone treatments for a gender transition. Her journey has inspired many, making her a role model for countless individuals.
Despite her transformation, Caitlyn has admitted that she still feels the presence of the “old Bruce” within her. Here’s everything you need to know about Caitlyn Jenner!
Caitlyn Jenner was born William Bruce Jenner on October 28, 1949, in Mount Kisco, New York. As a child, she faced challenges with dyslexia, but athletics became her refuge, allowing her to shine and discover her talent in a variety of sports.
Caitlyn Jenner – Early Life
In high school, Jenner excelled in football, basketball, and water skiing, but it was track and field that captured her heart. Initially, Caitlyn received a football scholarship to Graceland College in Iowa, but a knee injury took her off the field and led her to focus on track and field instead.
Her athletic prowess was undeniable—she was named the Most Valuable Player of her high school basketball, football, and track teams. However, during this time, she also began to struggle with her gender identity.
“I look at guys and I go… ‘He’s comfortable in his own skin,’” Jenner recalled. “And I thought, ‘Wouldn’t that be a nice way to go through life?’ I look at women all the time thinking, ‘Oh my God, how lucky are they that they can wake up in the morning and be themselves. But me, I’m stuck here in the middle.’”
In college, Jenner’s track coach, L.D. Weldon, encouraged her to train for the Olympic decathlon—a grueling event that combines ten track and field disciplines. Weldon, an expert in the event, saw immense potential in Jenner and believed she was the ideal candidate to excel in the decathlon.
In 1971, Caitlyn Jenner made an unexpected splash by winning the Kansas Relays. The following year, she earned a spot on the US Olympic team, finishing 10th in the decathlon at the Munich Olympics.
Olympic Superstar
While this was a notable achievement, Jenner was determined to do even better. She committed to an intense training regimen, practicing eight hours a day—every day—for the next four years. By the time the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada, rolled around, Jenner was fully prepared. On July 30, 1976, at just 26 years old, she won the Olympic decathlon, setting a new world record with 8,618 points.
At a time when the US was reeling from the aftereffects of Vietnam, Watergate, and other national crises, Jenner’s Olympic victory was a significant morale boost. She was embraced as a larger-than-life American hero, symbolizing strength with her masculine image and long, flowing hair. She was hailed as the world’s most outstanding athlete. However, despite becoming a symbol of masculinity, she felt like a woman when she stood on the podium to receive her gold medal.
Caitlyn Jenner reflected on her past, saying, “I see a confused person back then, running away from my life with overwhelming fear. I was terrified. I had no idea what my future held.”
She went on to say, “That was me. That was her. You can still be a woman and kick butt.”
“I felt totally empty inside”
After her groundbreaking Olympic victory, Caitlyn Jenner became not just an American hero but a household name. Back in the U.S., fame was a given, and soon she was raking in endorsement deals and making appearances in ads, TV shows, and even movies. However, beneath the public persona of Bruce Jenner, the reality was much different. In 1977, Jenner was drafted by the Kansas City Kings in the NBA’s seventh round. But as she stood there, basking in the fame, applause, and cheers, it didn’t mean much to her.
“I’d walk off stage and feel like a fraud. I thought, ‘I can’t tell my story,’” she recalled. “There’s so much more to me than what people saw in those 48 hours, but I couldn’t speak about it.” The frustration was immense. “Little did anyone know, I was completely empty inside—totally empty.”
Seven years before her Olympic triumph, in 1971, Caitlyn Jenner married her college sweetheart, Chrystie Scott. While Jenner pursued his Olympic dream, Chrystie worked as a flight attendant, and Jenner sold insurance at night. She was fully committed to helping her husband achieve his goals.
Caitlyn Jenner – Marriage, Wife, Children
The couple welcomed their first child, Burt, in 1978, and two years later, their daughter, Cassandra, was born. However, by the time Chrystie was pregnant with Cassandra, the couple had already separated.
In an interview with ABC, Jenner shared that Chrystie was likely “the first one to know” about her struggles with gender identity.
“I didn’t go deeply into it back then,” Caitlyn explained. “I said, ‘These are my issues. This is what I deal with.’ I told her that I did a little cross-dressing, a little of this and that, and reassured her, ‘It’s going to be fine, we’ll work all this out.’”
Despite her internal struggles, Jenner kept her gender identity issues to herself. In 1981, she married Linda Thompson, and together they had sons Brody and Brandon Jenner. The couple divorced five years later.
Years later, Caitlyn admitted that her ongoing struggles with gender identity played a role in their separation. Despite the end of their marriage, Thompson expressed unwavering support for Caitlyn.
“My hope is that his transition will inspire others who struggle with their identities,” Thompson said. “And my prayer is that humanity has evolved and is educated enough to show kindness to those we may perceive as ‘different.’”
After her divorce from Linda Thompson, Caitlyn Jenner sought professional help as she battled depression. During the late 1980s, she began taking estrogen and underwent a nose job and electrolysis to remove facial hair.
Stopped Her Transition
As Caitlyn began developing breasts, she initially intended to fully transition before turning 40. However, at 39, she made the decision to stop the process.
Caitlyn was struggling with her identity, but during that time, the understanding and acceptance of transgender individuals were not as widespread as they are today. This made her situation even more difficult, especially considering her status as a celebrity. But Caitlyn was, and still is, incredibly brave. She confided in her older sister Pam about the gender crisis she had been going through, marking the first time a family member learned about her struggle. Still, many of her family members had trouble grasping her experience.
In 1991, Caitlyn married Kris Jenner, and together they had two of her most famous children: Kylie and Kendall Jenner. Their marriage lasted until 2015. The union of Caitlyn and Kris lasted nearly two decades, and they became a hugely popular family when they starred in the reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians, which began in 2007. Despite the fame, Caitlyn continued to feel like a fraud, living as a man while struggling with her true identity.
In 2013, Caitlyn and Kris separated, and just four months later, Caitlyn resumed her transition without informing her children.
Still Feel Like Bruce Lives Inside Her
Caitlyn was apprehensive about how her family would react to her decision, as they had no knowledge of her plans at the time.
“That night I thought, ‘oh, it’s, like, over. Heart’s pounding… and I thought, wouldn’t the easiest thing be right now,” Caitlyn Jenner recalled.
In 2014, their divorce was finalized, and Caitlyn then opened up to all of her children about her decision to transition. Fortunately, she received overwhelming support from each of them. Today, Caitlyn has embraced her new life, which is vastly different from her past. Despite her transition, Kendall and Kylie sometimes still call her “dad.” However, Caitlyn has no issue with it, accepting the confusion that can arise as they adjust to the changes.
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During a conversation with her daughter Kylie on her YouTube channel, Kylie asked Caitlyn, “I know we had a talk a few years ago and you were okay with us still calling you dad. How do you feel about that now?”
Caitlyn replied, “I feel it was one of the best decisions I made. Sometimes this community can be pretty tough, especially when it comes to pronouns, and everybody’s got an opinion. But I really felt from the beginning that I’ve got to do it my way that works for me, and everyone out there can do it their way that works for them. Some people would say, ‘You’re the mother,’ but I’m not. I’m the dad, I’ve been the dad the whole way, I will be their father until the day they die or I die.”
Even though more than five years have passed since Caitlyn’s transition, she still feels that “Bruce” lives inside her. She continues to enjoy activities that Bruce once liked, such as car racing and flying planes.
Caitlyn Jenner’s net worth is estimated to be around $100 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Caitlyn is a fearless individual and serves as a role model for many. Feel free to share this article with friends and family!