Caster Semenya

I really like Caster Semenya, who is a South African athlete, specializing in 800m. She is 28 years old. At only 18, she made her first junior World Championship in Africa, thanks to her record time of 1min56s72. The same year, she won the Gold Medal at the Berlin World Championship in just 1min55s45.

But because of her appearance and voice, which is particularly masculine, the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federation) decided to submit her to female tests a few hours before the Berlin finals. The athlete turned out to be intersex with an unusual production of testosterone. So, the IAAF wanted her to compete in the handisport category. She refused and finally ran in her usual female category.

I admire this heroine, with her courage and determination despite her differences and the criticism that she received.