The world had abandoned her; the ‘man’ jibe hurt her, infuriated her. Then, she happened to meet Nelson Mandela.
"Go out there and make me proud…I believe in you.” These words inspire Caster Semenya every day. The world had abandoned her; the ‘man’ jibe hurt her, infuriated her. Soon after she crossed the finish line in the 800 metres at the 2009 world championships in Berlin, stewards away from the stadium. The South African was even prevented from doing a lap of honour.
Semenya, then a teenager, was asked to undergo a gender test. The testosterone level in her body was three times higher than in an average woman. Then, she happened to meet Nelson Mandela.
“I never dreamt of meeting him face to face. He made me believe in what I do best, to win more medals. He told me, Go out there and make me proud. I believe in you’. Those words still ring in my ears. Without his support, I would have been nowhere,” Semenya says, never losing eye contact.
The confidence is back. She may not be the same athlete she was in 2009, but Semenya has shown enough signs of improvement.
“If I’m at my best, I feel I must win gold all the time,” adds Semenya, whose season best of 1:59.18 puts her in 21st position in the world. “It’s what my friends always tell me, that I’m a strong person and the best. But my head has to be clear before I run so nothing upsets me.”
On Friday, she was South Africa’s flag-bearer at the opening ceremony. Who would have thought that an athlete, whose career was all but over, would return in such fashion! “Life’s good again. Good things are happening. I felt so proud (carrying the flag). It’s certainly the best moment of my life,” the 21-year-old adds.
Semenya is never allowed to forget her past. ‘Those’ questions are very much part of her life. “Putting yourself out there takes guts. People ask questions that can make you sad. But for me, I must always stay positive. That’s what I have to learn. I have to be a professional athlete, I have to act professionally,” the village girl says.
For now, though, she is focussed on the job at hand. “I am happy with my times this year. There is room for improvement and I am working on it. I know where I am coming from, so build-up wise I am OK,” she says.
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