By now, most of you have seen Caitlyn, the woman formerly known as Bruce Jenner. The first pictures and videos of the former Olympic gold medalist as a newly-transformed female have been circulating all around the Internet and media since this morning. Reactions have been both positive and negative, but one thing’s for sure…it takes a lot of courage to do what Bruce is doing.
This past year has been a tumultuous one for the athlete-turned-reality star, as the public slowly became aware of changes that were going on with his body and started asking questions. Paparazzi, tabloids, and news outlets alike made it a mission to invade his privacy (even more than usual) to get to the bottom of the story…was Bruce Jenner really trying to become a woman? Finally, he agreed to sit down with ABC News’ Diane Sawyer and give the public the answers they had been wanting. He talked about the struggle with his gender identity that he has endured his whole life, how he revealed his secret to his family and friends, and his plans to live the rest of his life as a woman.
Now that Bruce has made the full transition into his new identity as Caitlyn, ESPN has confirmed that she will be awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2015 ESPYs this summer. Each year, the Arthur Ashe Award is given to a figure in the sports world who is a prime example of someone who embodies strength and courage when faced with great adversity. The ESPYs will take place on July 15th and it will be the former athlete’s first public appearance as Caitlyn Jenner. Once an inspiration to those who admired his physical strength, Jenner is now even more of an inspiration because of the mental and emotional strength she has exhibited throughout this long and crazy journey.
