That was a considerable achievement, but Jenner knew she could do even better. So she began an intense training regime, practicing eight hours a day – every day – for the next four years.
Once it was time for the Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada, in 1976, Jenner was ready.
As the US was in a very rough period – regarding the aftershock of Vietnam, Watergate, and several other big problems – Jenner’s Olympic gold was an important thing. They was treated like a bigger-than-life American superhero and became a symbol as at the time they were masculine with long lionlike flowing hair.
She was hailed as the most outstanding athlete in the world. But at the time, even though they became a symbol of masculinity, they felt like a woman when they received the gold medal.
“I see a confused person at that time, running away from my life … with big-time fear,” Caitlyn told ABC. “[I was] scared to death. I didn’t realize what my future held at that time.”
“That is me. That is her,” she added, referring to her gender identity. “[you can be a woman] and still kick butt.”
“I was totally empty inside”
Because of the massive victory in the Olympics, Caitlyn Jenner didn’t only become an American hero. It also meant fame was inevitable, and once she got back to the States, everyone wanted a piece of her.
Jenner got plenty of endorsement deals, becoming a sort of a national brand. Further, she appeared in ads and television shows – and even movies.
However, behind the brand that at the time was Bruce Jenner, she was a different person.
“I walk off the stage, and I’d feel like a liar. And I would say, ‘F*ck, I can’t tell my story,” she recalled. “There’s so much more to me than those 48 hours in the stadium, and I can’t talk about it.’ It was frustrating. You get mad at yourself…. Little did they know I was totally empty inside. Totally empty inside.”Continue reading…
