Caster Semenya Biography

[CaveMum]

Wonder how much misinformation will be in this book? The press release is already thick with hyperbole.

https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/merkybooks-strikes-gold-for-olympic-champion-semenyas-memoir

“Publisher Helen Conford and senior commissioning editor Lemara Lindsay-Prince acquired UK and commonwealth rights, excluding South Africa and Canada, for The Race To Be Myself, from Caspian Dennis and Rachel Clements at Abner Stein on behalf Peter McGuigan at Ultra Literary. It will publish 31st October 2023.

North American rights were won by Nneoma Amadi-obi at Norton and Simon Boughton at Norton Young Readers from Peter McGuigan at Ultra Literary. Southern African rights have been sold to Jeremy Boraine at Jonathan Ball Publishers. A young reader’s edition will be published by Puffin.

The publisher said: “Banned from competing in the sport she loved and trained her whole life for, Olympic and World Champion Caster Semenya is finally ready to share the vivid and heart-breaking story of how the world came to know her name.

Thrust into the spotlight at just 18 years old after winning the Berlin World Championships in 2009, Caster’s win was quickly overshadowed by criticism and speculation about her body, and she quickly became the centre of a debate which continues today about gender in sports, and the right to compete as you are.

“Told with captivating speed, immediate candour and the spirit of defiance, The Race to Be Myself is the journey of Caster’s years as an athlete in the public eye, and her private life behind closed doors. From her rural beginnings running free in the dust, to crushing her opponents in record time on the track; to the falsehoods spread about her by the press and sporting bodies, the legal trial she went through in order to compete, and the humiliation she has been forced to endure publicly and privately.”

Semenya said: “My life has had its struggles, but it has mostly been a joy. Through my example, I want to educate, enlighten and inform about how the world can welcome those born different. You may have heard some of my story over the years, and you might have seen me running or standing proudly on the podium at the Olympics. But there is still so much I need to relate about strength, courage, love, resilience and being true to who you are. I want this book to show people around the world how to do just that.”

Lindsay-Prince added: “I’ve always admired Caster Semenya’s journey as an extraordinary athlete and iconic activist, incredible pioneer and unfortunate pariah. Her fight to run as she is a race for respect, justice and ultimately everyone who has ever been told no and prevented from doing the thing they love.

"This book is her setting the record straight and owning her entire story. It’s unflinching in its honesty and empowering in its tone, and captures the full scope of her life – from a little girl running in the dust, to a record breaking athlete running to be free.”

Oh come on, I bet thousands of young pubescent South African girls brought up in conservative, often deeply religious communities have similar photos of themselves in boys swimming trunks enjoying a swim at the seaside with their mates. 🙂

there is one semi amusing moment in the book where CS is basically fighting what she knows is likely to be a losing battle in court against the IAAF, who at some point wheel out a star expert witness, namely Joanna Harper.

I can't do what CS says justice without directly quoting.

...a pale, fragile looking, very tall woman walked to the expert’s chair. She didn’t look healthy to me. I used my elbows to nudge my lawyers on either side of me.

She said her name was Joanna Harper. She introduced herself as a transgendered woman, a long-distance runner and a medical something who for some reason came to testify about her transition and how she’d done a study using several other transgendered runners.

“What. The. Fuck. Is. This?” I thought...
...
I remember I turned to look at [my lawyer] while Joanna was testifying. This was some shit, right here...

Cue the outrage at Semenya’s transphobia in 3, 2, 1….

Gosh NotBad. I think you will find there will be nothing forthcoming.

Because we all know that Semenya is a keystone in the argument to allow male athletes to compete in female sports events, so there will be no allies or activists who would like to highlight that glaringly obvious point.

CS doesn't come across as terribly PC. The TRAs' beloved 'intersex' term is one that she flatly rejects. About as far as she'll go in putting words to herself is that she's "a different kind of woman" who, though rejecting 'lesbian' "loves women".

Some people may have sperm that can extracted using ICSI. Some will have to use donor sperm.

We don’t know what Semenyah did, and I’m personally uncomfortable with the idea that it needs to be public knowledge - the whole world doesn’t need to know if he is his children’s bio dad or not.

CS covers this in the first few pages of the book, says that, "I do not produce sperm.". May even be telling the truth, who knows. It's not really super relevant to her eligibility.

I am guessing that maintaining the lie that Caster Semenya is female is necessary for commercial purposes. Possibly not for CS' benefit but I wonder if there are sponsorships at risk if it gets shown that officials knew it was a lie all along.

This matters.

We have seen that unscrupulous officials have been happy to use performance enhancing drugs without thought to the long term health of athletes.

I have no doubt that some regimes would be more than happy to take advantage of a loophole which would allow male athletes to compete as female. This could easily result in abuse. Male babies with undescended testes being targeted, monitored and pushed into sports. Not getting appropriate treatment.

Genuinely female athletes will get bypassed, pushed aside so that the manufactured 'female' athletes get the focus, the benefits, the returns.

If you were a totally cynical coach why would you bother coaching genuinely female athletes with all their pesky hormones when you can coach a much simpler biologically male athlete. None of you will even need to work that hard to compete against biologically female athletes.

I am angry not really at Caster Semenya but at the people around them using smoke and mirrors to maintain the fiction.

The BBC, never not at it. Caster Semenya: Double Olympic champion 'not ashamed of being different' - BBC Sport

When will this end? Would Ros Atkins like to 'fact check' this? 5ARD is not 'hyperandrogenism' is it? That being a FEMALE health condition, as women are not naturally 'androgenic'.

Please can everyone send the BBC a complaint about this article, it is factually incorrect.

I just have, @MrsJamin. They can be logged on [email protected]. I expect I'll be contacted in due course. By the police most likely, for committing a hate crime. 🙄

Should probably say that men can suffer from 'hyperandrogenism', which is in male bodies caused by taking steroids, but not naturally AFAIK.

On Woman’s Hour right now (Tues 7th November) - first item. With Emma Barnett.

I’m listening, Castor certainly likes the sound of his own voice…

Do you think Emma is just letting Castor speak so the listeners can make their own conclusions.

He couldn't sound more male in his voice, content or attitude.

Interesting that Semenya going for the “my testes don’t produce anything” - not sperm perhaps, but a shed load of testosterone eh?

I might have just shouted at the radio.

”If DSD women have an advantage then why do we run the same time as women?”

BECAUSE YOU’RE AN AVERAGE MALE MATE!

Yeah Caster, you won't permit an internal exam, like real women don't ever have invasive 'penetrative' tests. Conman.

Oh good, Emma is quoting Ross Tucker - lots of clear info!

Emma is going in for the kill.

Me too!!

Emma is doing a great job here. Go Emma!

Ah, here comes the racist card.

“You work hard”

You fucker!!!!!

Emma is asking all the right questions there. Good on her!