Caitlyn Jenner covers Sports Illustrated's latest issue to commemorate the 40-year anniversary of her winning Olympic gold in Montreal. On the cover, Jenner wears the gold medal, which she says has been sitting in her nail drawer, publicly for the first time since her transition.
In her cover story, Jenner recounts her memories of the 1976 Olympic Games and also contextualizes them in the larger scheme of her life. “Sports. It’s not real life,” she told SI. “I’m very proud of that part of my life. And it’s not like I just want to throw it out. It’s part of who I am. What I’m dealing with now, this is about who you are as a human being."
Jenner says that since her transition she is the happiest she has been in her life. She also says her capacity to create change has grown immensely. "What did I do for the world in 1976, besides maybe getting a few people to exercise a little bit?" she said. "I didn’t make a difference in the world.”
Now, Jenner says her goal is to make the lives of trans people better. "Maybe I could make a difference,” she remembers thinking when she first decided to transition. “This issue doesn’t deserve to be in the gutter anymore.” That's why wearing the medal on the cover was important to her. "It’s a picture that brings attention to this issue,” she said. “That’s the important thing. That’s why I wore the medal.”
The SI story also touches on how Jenner has helped push the conversation about trans people forward. Transparent director Jill Soloway points to one instance in particular in which Caitlyn was pitted against the Kardashian krew as evidence. "People are talking about whether Kris or Caitlyn has the better dress, instead of, ‘Hey, Kris’s partner is transgender,’” she told SI. “So Caitlyn becomes just another Kardashian plot, instead of being transgender. That’s a totally positive thing.”
You can read the entire SI story here.
