Caster Semenya: The race to be myself, Penguin Randon House, 2023

Stuart Weir wrote this overview of the brand new guide by Caster Semenya. Caster and Stuart spoke on many events, and Stuart, in addition to your editor, got here to respect the athlete who was the point of interest of a lot dialogue throughout her profession. The factor is, we by no means noticed Caster lose her cool, and she or he was at all times respectful of the media, athletes, and the conditions that she endured. I hope that we might be so considerate when the world is being so damaging about your very being. -Editor’s be aware. 

Caster Semenya: The race to be myself, Penguin Randon Home, 2023

ISBN878-1-529-18636-9

There are compelling arguments why Caster Semenya, the athlete, ought to have been allowed to compete as a girl; there are additionally sturdy arguments in opposition to it.  This isn’t the place to re-open that debate. What’s past dispute is that Caster Semenya,  the individual, was shockingly badly handled by World Athletics (IAAF) and by Athletics South Africa.

Caster Semenya has written the story of an individual rising up in a South African village however with a dream to achieve success and to fly in an airplane sooner or later, happening to win the 800m within the 2012 and 2016 Olympics and the 2009, 2011 and 2017 World Championships in addition to the 800/1500 double on the 2018 Commonwealth Video games.  I used to be privileged to see all these races – amongst others – and to have one lengthy dialog along with her.

The guide strays frequently into biology with a press release already on the second web page of the guide: “I’m feminine. I’ve a vagina, however I should not have a uterus.  I don’t menstruate, and my physique produces an elevated quantity of testosterone…  I can’t carry a toddler as a result of I don’t have a womb however, opposite to what many individuals assume, I don’t produce sperm”.  Elsewhere, she writes: “So many superb performances that 12 months and Caster Semenya’s genitals the appeared to be the primary story”.  She refers back to the uncomfortable expertise of watching folks discussing her physique on tv and feeling that the “world talked about me like I used to be an alien or a monster” and “Excellent strangers would deal with my physique like a science experiment”. One expression she used appeared notably poignant: “publicly humiliated day by day”.

It’s a guide of contrasts. All through the guide, her religion in God is talked about repeatedly.  It’s a central a part of her id that she believes that God created her and gave her the physique she has.  On the similar time, the F phrase is used liberally, and several other instances, folks in officialdom are branded “mom******”

She describes a cheerful childhood as a woman however “a distinct type of woman”, typically looking or enjoying soccer with boys, being extra comfy in a tracksuit than a costume.

The primary flashpoint was the 2009 World Championship when she “was solely 18 years outdated and had been subjected to invasive and humiliating gender affirmation checks with out my consent simply previous to the race”. Her claims that on events, she went for what she assumed was a routine doping check however was then subjected to intercourse checks with out her consent are surprising. 

In sheer athletics phrases, her win within the 2009 World Championship in 1:55.45 was outstanding on condition that she was 18 and had not even run a Diamond League or equal earlier than Berlin, not to mention handled stress from Athletics South Africa and the IAAF. She says that her objectives for Berlin had been to get expertise, end 3-5 maybe however that every one the “noise” gave her an incredible dedication to win. Extremely, she received and was not invited to the medalists’ press convention.

With regard to different athletes, she is essential of Lynsey Sharp for refusing to shake fingers after a race however singles out Maz Okoro as an athlete who wished her luck earlier than the Berlin ultimate. She can be essential of Seb Coe, “a small man, not sure of himself, a kind of males who wanted to wrap themselves in a way of their very own significance”, for making bulletins, for instance, in the course of the 2016 Olympics and 2017 World Championships”, seemingly timed to deflect consideration away from runners and their athleticism to Caster, the issue. She additionally alleges that IAAF leaked the preliminary outcomes of her blood checks to the worldwide press.

The guide consists of quite a lot of detailed arguments in regards to the science and the arguments on either side – that are too complicated to be summed up right here. What I did discover disturbing was stress from the authorities “to have an operation known as a gonadectomy to take away the organs which are producing testosterone”.  It’s exhausting to not agree with Caster: “Who of their proper thoughts would reduce their physique open until one thing was mistaken with them?” or along with her abstract, “The one options supplied are medically pointless and doubtlessly dangerous”. It’s once more disturbing to learn that she took IAAF-prescribed medication for years and suffered unintended effects”. 

She writes sentences like, “I felt that the IAAF has confiscated a big a part of my life.  I spent as a lot time preventing them as I’ve coaching and racing”, seemingly with out bitterness.  For a lot of, it was an nearly tutorial train.  To Caster, “This was a battle for my life, id, livelihood”. 

Her assertion early within the guide: “I wish to clarify that my story shouldn’t be one in every of ache and torment, however slightly about hope, self-confidence, and resilience,” rings true.  Caster comes throughout as a constructive one that is grateful for the expertise she has been given and the chance to make use of it. Her epitaph is: “I didn’t waste the expertise and the chance God and my ancestors bestowed upon me”.

In a second article, I’ll mirror on the Caster Semenya I watched in all the worldwide championship appearances and my interactions along with her.