40 years after winning the gold at the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics, Caitlyn Jenner looks back on that moment and her journey since in Sports Illustrated‘s double summer issue cover story.
The story is a multi-media extravaganza, including a 22-minute documentary, a profile and photographs of then and now. In the documentary, Caitlyn reminisced about her victory as Bruce in 1976. “For those two days in July of 1976, I was the best in the world at what I did,” she said. “On the other hand, the decathlon was my best friend, and that was over. I lost my beard.” However, despite her athletic victories and subsequent fame, she was “disgusted” by her body. “I was big and thick and masculine. The rest of the world thought it was this Greek god kind of body. I hated it. But it’s what I was given, so I just tried to do the best I could with it,” she explained.
But despite their struggles, Cait still loves Bruce. “I like what he did and the way he set an example for hard work and dedication. I’m proud of that part of my life,” she said, “But this woman was living inside me, all my life, and it reached the point where I had to let her live and put Bruce inside.”
Ultimately, she is glad to finally be living as Caitlin. “I am happier, these last 12 months, than I’ve ever been in my life,” she said. And for that, we’re happy for her!