South Africa’s golden girl Mokgadi Caster Semenya announced this week that she would be releasing a tell-all-memoir, “The Race To Be Myself,” later this year.
“The Race to be Myself” tells the coming-of-age story of Semenya’s dramatic journey from a gifted and self-trained novice to the pinnacle of her sport and takes readers behind the scenes of her inspiring battle to run in the “body that God gave me.”
The book is published by a New York based, and of the oldest and largest book publishers, Norton & Company.
Taking to her social media pages this week, the Olympic gold medallist unveiled the cover of her debut memoir, also announcing that the book would soon be ready for pre-order.
She wrote: “I am happy to announce that my memoir, The Race To Be Myself’ will be published this year on the 31st of October. It will be a simultaneous release in the US, UK and SA.
“It is my hope that by finally telling my truth, I will inspire others to be bold, unafraid and most importantly, to love and accept themselves as they are.
“This is my offering from me to you. You can preorder my book at your favourite bookseller today in the US and the UK….SA pre-order date will be shared soon. Stay winning, love Mokgadi #TheRaceToBeMyself.”
Her thriving career as an athlete, which saw her become a world championship runner and multiple gold medallist, was never without hurdles.
Caster Semenya's life and career have indeed been impacted by the accusations and controversies surrounding her naturally elevated levels of testosterone.
These accusations questioned her eligibility to compete against other women, leading to the requirement imposed by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) for her to take hormone-altering drugs in order to participate in certain events.
The controversy surrounding her situation reflects broader debates about the definition of gender in competitive sports and the complexities of determining fairness and inclusivity.
In her book, the Limpopo-born star has shed light on the struggles and challenges she encountered and how getting her identity scrutinised and questioned has impacted her life.
Fans and celebrities took to Semenya’s Instagram comments to congratulate her on the new book.
Actress Gil Mabalane wrote: “Mokgadi!!!!! 🔥🔥🔥 Congratulations! Definitely getting my copy!”
Fitness guru Letshego ZuluI’m so happy for you!!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 And I can’t wait to have my own signed copy 🤩 Congratulations!!!”
Anti-racism activist and author Zulaikha Patel said: “ Congratulations 🥳”
Seasoned sportcaster Carol Tshabalala added: “Hard work, perseverance it’s all paying off 💪🏽💪🏽 Mega congratulations 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 here’s to more success!”