"Now we’re on. We’re gonna fight!’ – Caster Semenya
In the latest episode of The Carol Ofori Podcast, Carol has an honest, frank, and sometimes hilarious conversation with South African two-time Olympic gold medallist, Caster Semenya.
I’m not going to let a man come tell me how I should look. A man to tell me that ‘because you have high testosterone, because you have a deep voice, because you have this, you are not woman enough.’ No, no, no, no, no.
Semenya recently published her book titled ‘The Race to be Myself’, in which she takes us on a journey through her younger years in rural Limpopo, to her glory on international athletics tracks, and now to her ongoing fight for what it means to be a woman in sport.
In a candid conversation with Carol, Semenya opens up about why this ongoing battle is so important, not only for herself, but for every single person who feels their human rights have been violated somehow.
Semenya says, “It’s just a reminder to each and every one to say ‘Hey you must know your rights, you must know who you are and you must own your identity.”
In her book, Semenya speaks a lot about turning her criticism into fuel and she explains to Carol how she does this and how we can all learn to do the same.
“For me, I love everything about my body, I love my voice, I love how I walk, I love how I dress, so if anyone comes with their perception, it has nothing to do with me. What’s important is that you love what you see in the mirror.”
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As far as her naturally high testosterone levels, Semenya says every champion in any field whatsoever was born with a genetic advantage, and this is what enables them to be the champion.
“Every individual is born with a variation in the body, they are born with differences, but you have to understand that to be a champion you must be that special one and you can’t fight that, we’re not God and we can’t control nature,” she tells Carol.
Listen to the full conversation at the top of this page - or watch the video version below.
Meanwhile, in an earlier episode of The Carol Ofori Podcast, Carol had an in-depth conversation with seasoned political analyst, Dr Ongama Mtimka, about what to expect come South Africa’s 2024 General Elections. If you care about where South Africa is headed, this is a must-listen.
If you’d like to suggest a topic for The Carol Ofori Podcast, please email Carol’s producer, Rory, at [email protected]
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Image Credit: East Coast Radio Podcasts and Caster Semenya