Her fight for recognition

THIS long-awaited book is finally on the shelves, and if you want to find out the real deal from the sportswoman who made local and international headlines, then get your hands on a copy.

- ORIELLE BERRY

Caster Semenya's tell-all book is about the race to be herself both on and off the track. It's a story of incredible courage, steely determination, and an iron resolve to see things righted.

Here is a woman who has triumphed multiple times on track, winning prestigious awards but has been targeted by fellow runners, ruthless journalists, and notable sports federations. Many thought it impossible that anyone could run so fast and attributed it to her sexuality, claiming she was using performance-enhancing drugs. She's been humiliated, maligned, and accused publicly and internationally, yet remarkably, she has stood her ground with dignity and elegance.

Her account of her life and this saga, as a multiple medallist and track champion, is written in an easy style, devoid of wallowing in humiliation. Caster's story begins on January 7, 1991, in Limpopo. She was born a girl, and it states clearly on her birth certificate that she is female. However, while born with a vagina, she was also born with internal undescended testes and has no uterus or fallopian tubes and does not menstruate. She has always rejected the label of "intersex," referring to herself as "a different kind of woman."

As an internationally renowned athlete, her tall and muscular frame and internal sexual structure have been the subject of endless scrutiny. Much of the publicity has been negative, and sporting bodies have put her through the mill, enforcing tests and medication to enhance her femininity.