Untold: Caitlyn Jenner

As a dyslexic child dealing with inner confusion, young Bruce Jenner discovered athletic ability in fifth-grade gym class when the coach instructed students, "Run around the chairs," and timed each run. Having recorded the fastest time in the school, Jenner turned to athletics as an escape, later noting, "down in my soul, I was different," and adding, latestnetflix.com maintains, "So I built this Bruce character."

Jenner enrolled at Graceland College on a football scholarship and met Chrystie Crownover. In January 1969, a torn knee ended Jenner's football career, prompting track-and-field coach L.D. Weldon to suggest training for the decathlon. Jenner broke Graceland's school record that year and qualified for the 1972 Munich Olympics, finishing in tenth place.

After watching Soviet athlete Nikolai Avilov claim gold and break the decathlon world record in Munich, Jenner watched the medal ceremony and resolved, "That's what I want right there." Jenner saw winning an Olympic gold medal as a way to prove masculinity and silence internal gender questions.

Jenner married Chrystie and moved to San Jose, renting an apartment adjacent to the San Jose City College track. Jenner worked part-time selling insurance while Chrystie worked as a flight attendant to fund years of grueling daily workouts alongside training partner Vince Stryker and pet dog Bertha.

At the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Jenner opened the decathlon with a personal-best 10.94 seconds in the 100-meter dash, followed by the long jump and shot put. Facing elimination on the third attempt in the high jump, Jenner stood before the bar thinking, "If I don't do this, it's over," before clearing six feet, eight inches, and then winning the 400-meter heat in 47.51 seconds to trail the leaders by only 35 points after day one.

Heavy rain soaked the track for day two. After teammate Fred Dixon slipped and lost contention during the 110-meter hurdles, Jenner focused strictly on survival, stating, "I don't care what my time is. I just wanna live through this race," and completed a safe heat in 14.84 seconds. Strong showings in the discus, pole vault, and javelin positioned Jenner within reach of the world record.

Jenner dominated the final 1500-meter race with a time of 4:11.41, securing the Olympic gold medal and setting a world record with over 8,600 points. Embracing Chrystie by the stands, Jenner said, "We did it." Standing before a bathroom mirror the following morning with the gold medal, Jenner asked, "What the hell did you just do?"

Widespread fame followed, bringing talk show appearances, product endorsements, Wheaties cereal boxes, and constant media scrutiny. Jenner felt trapped under the public image, questioning, "Did I build this character up so big and so publicly… 'Bruce,' that I'm stuck with him?" The couple had their son Burt, but marital tension and hidden inner turmoil eventually led to divorce.

Jenner isolated in a Malibu house and suffered from gender dysphoria during the 1980s. Jenner contacted the Orange County Transgender Association, sought professional counseling, and began taking hormone therapy and undergoing electrolysis. The process was aborted because Jenner felt "too scared" to proceed.

After meeting Kris, Jenner remarried and returned to living as Bruce, helping raise a blended family including daughters Kendall and Kylie. Jenner occasionally cross-dressed in private, on one occasion slipping away from a speaking event in Orlando before rushing back inside in fear after a passerby called out from a hotel bar. The rise of reality television later placed the household under intense global surveillance.

Following a separation from Kris after 22 years of marriage, Jenner decided, "I can't take it any longer. I'm going to do this." Paparazzi exposed a tracheal shave surgery before Jenner had discussed the transition with family. Jenner later walked among goats with son Burt and spoke openly about the decision, followed by a consultation with a pastor about personal faith.

Jenner publicly came out as Caitlyn Jenner, received the ESPY Arthur Ashe Courage Award, and obtained legal documentation reading "Caitlyn Marie Jenner, gender marker F." Jenner insists "Bruce won the Games," while Caitlyn credits that past athletic achievement.