Caitlyn (formerly Bruce) Jenner was quite the athlete. Growing up, Jenner played a number of sports, but she is best known for her success at track and field during the Olympic games. Recently, Jenner’s athletic career has been highlighted after ESPN announced that Caitlyn Jenner would be awarded the Authur Ashe Courage Award at the 2015 ESPYS.
ESPY’s co-producer Maura Mandt recently spoke about the decision:
“I think Caitlyn’s decision to publicly come out as a transgender woman and live as Caitlyn Jenner displayed enormous courage and self-acceptance. Bruce Jenner could have easily gone off into the sunset as this American hero and never have dealt with this publicly. Doing so took enormous courage. He was one of the greatest athletes of our time.”
Here are some of the highlights of Caitlyn (Bruce) Jenner’s career:
1. Jenner Participated in the 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics
Caitlyn (Bruce) Jenner at the 1976 Olympics. (Getty)
According to The Washington Post, Jenner placed 10th in the decathlon during the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany. Jenner was determined to improve upon this performance in the 1976 Olympics and it was quite the improvement. In the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Jenner won the gold medal in the decathlon.
2. In 1976, Jenner Set a World Record
In the process of winning the gold medal in the 1976 Olympic decathlon, Jenner set a world record in the event with 8,634 points. This performance along with many others put Bruce Jenner into the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame.
3. Jenner Accepted a Football Scholarship Offer From Graceland College
According to Biography.com, Graceland College, a small college in Iowa, offered Jenner a scholarship to play football which he accepted. However, he suffered a knee injury that forced him out of the sport. In a turn of fate, Jenner decided to pursue track and field, a sport he had played during high school.
4. A Petition Has Been Created that Wants Jenner to be Stripped of the Gold Medals
Caitlyn Jenner on cover of Vanity Fair. (Getty)
In a strange turn of events, there is a group that is petitioning for Caitlyn Jenner to be stripped of her Olympic medals. According to The Independent, the petition states “It is only fair to all involved that women receive their credit as champions of the Decathalon and that the men racing Ms. Jenner are not expected to compete with a superior, streamlined being such as herself.” The petition has thousands of signatures and people are using #givebackthegold on social media to show their support for the petition.
5. Jenner Was Selected in the NBA Draft
According to NBA.com, Bruce Jenner was selected in the 1977 NBA Draft by the Kansas City Kings. Jenner was selected in the seventh round. The draft took place before the NBA shortened the draft to two rounds. Jenner had not played basketball since high school, but the Kings were looking to capitalize on his title as “World’s Greatest Athlete”. The phrase had been something Jenner used in many of his marketing opportunities.
