From champion decathlete to actor to reality TV show star, the life of Caitlyn Jenner has been one lived very much in the public eye.
Born William Bruce Jenner in October 1949 in the Hudson Valley town of Mount Kisco, New York state, Jenner showed athletic promise from a young age, culminating in his Olympic gold win in the decathlon at the 1976 Montreal Olympics when he broke a world record. Jenner’s competitive career ended in Montreal, although his induction into the Olympic Hall of Fame did not come until 1986.
By then, Jenner was pursuing a lucrative career as the face of numerous household products and eventually diversified into acting, appearing in a a number of made-for-TV films during the late 1970s and early 80s. There were also appearances in episodes of television series including Murder, She Wrote and a parallel career as a racing car driver.
After two previous marriages, Jenner wed Kris Kardashian in 1991, a union that was to lead to appearances from 2007 onwards in the reality television show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, in which Jenner appeared alongside his stepchildren Kim, Khloe, Kourtney and Rob Kardashian.
In a highly anticipated ABC interview broadcast in April, Jenner confirmed that she identified as a woman, ending years of rumour and speculation.
“For all intents and purposes, I’m a woman,” said Jenner, who added that she had started cross-dressing at the age of eight or nine, clandestinely trying on dresses from his mother’s and sisters’ wardrobes.
Jenner also used the interview to express support for the US Republican party, adding that she was willing to ask the party’s leaders to engage with trans issues.
