Caitlyn Jenner feels that ‘old Bruce’ still lives inside her
Caitlyn Jenner was born William Bruce Jenner on October 28, 1949, in Mount Kisco, New York. As a youngster, she struggled with dyslexia, but even though it was tough, athletics was a savior for her. Throughout her childhood, Caitlyn found great success in sports, as she turned out to be a huge talent in many sports.
Caitlyn Jenner – early life
From the beginning, however, Caitlyn received a football scholarship from Graceland College in Iowa. But once there, a knee injury took her off the field, and instead, she switched to track and field.
As mentioned, Caitlyn was a very gifted athlete, being named the Most Valuable Player of her high school basketball team, football team, and track team. But at the same time, already at that point in her life, she struggled with 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.”
Caitlyn Jenner’s track coach in college, L.D Weldon, convinced her to start training for the Olympic decathlon – a combined event in athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The coach was an expert in the very demanding track event, and he saw Jenner as the perfect person for it.
In 1971, Caitlyn came out of nowhere and won the Kansas Relays. A year later, she made the US Olympic team, finishing 10th in the Olympic decathlon in Munich.
