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The Race to Be Myself

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

'A story that makes us all interrogate our humanity and the world we build with our actions every day.' Trevor Noah


ATHLETE. ICON. ACTIVIST.

 

Aged eighteen, Caster Semenya shot to fame on the global sporting stage for her blistering speed. But shrouding her monumental win were fierce rumours about her physical body rather than her phenomenal performance.


Called 'a threat to the sport' and 'not woman enough', she found herself at the centre of the debate around the newly drawn line between gender and sport. Throughout the intense speculation, harmful rumours and long legal battle she has remained quiet, letting her running do the talking until she was banned from competing and defending her Olympic title in 2020.


Now, Caster is ready to own her story and tell it in full. In this book, Caster speaks openly about growing up in a loving family and community that never regarded her as different, just Caster; of her early years understanding her agency, sexuality and athletic ability; and of her infectious spirit and tenacity to be the best.


Told with conviction and humour, The Race To Be Myself is the story of a life lived in the spotlight, a manifesto for acceptance and change for all. This is the unforgettable story of one of the most recognisable athletes in the world, and of a woman's journey to run free.


Caster Semenya is a professional runner, two-time Olympic Games gold medallist and a three-time World Athletics Championships gold medallist. She lives in Pretoria.

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    • Publisher's Weekly

      August 14, 2023
      Two-time Olympic gold medalist Semenya recounts her struggles to compete in international track-and-field events in this affecting debut memoir. Semenya was born in South Africa with a genetic condition that caused her to develop both female genitalia and high testosterone levels that gave her “more typically masculine characteristics, such as a deeper voice and fewer curves.” Though she’d sometimes been mistaken for a boy growing up, she only learned of her condition in 2009, after she won her first world championship in the 800-meter race as an 18-year-old. Her physical appearance led to questions about whether she was a man, which, in turn, resulted in a battery of tests by the International Amateur Athletic Federation. Semenya was forced to take medication to lower her testosterone levels in order to compete, which had “horrible side effects,” and by 2018, the IAAF adopted rules mandating low testosterone caps for eligibility in a handful of Semenya’s strongest events, including the 400- and 800-meter races, a decision she challenged in human rights court. Semenya’s galvanizing descriptions of being treated unfairly because of the genes she was born with are leavened with descriptions of the loving embrace of her family, especially her wife, Violet Raseboya. This chronicle of supreme resilience will resonate even with non–sports fans. Agent: Peter McGuigan, Ultra Literary.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Olympic medalist Caster Semenya engages listeners with this deeply personal memoir of her experiences amid the ongoing debate over fairness in women's sports. Semenya, who was raised a girl and has always identified as female, has naturally high levels of testosterone, which are known as "differences in sex development (DSD)." She's been forced to undergo invasive and humiliating "gender verification" tests, has had her private medical information released to the public, and more. Semenya, who narrates the prologue and epilogue, evokes a quiet determination and is steadfast in who she is. While narrator Becky Motumo-Molete's voice is dissimilar to Semenya's in pitch and pace, her graceful performance channels the same resoluteness and stoic authenticity that Semenya does. An intimate and thought-provoking listen filled with complexity and resilience. V.T.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

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  • English

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