Caster Semenya shares billboard pictures of her book in New York

Caster Semenya, a multiple Olympic and World Championship gold medalist has a career that many would consider legendary. The South African runner broke into the scene with a gold at the 2009 World Athletics Championships when she was just 18. However, instead of praise and congratulations for her achievements, Semenya was met with whispers questioning her gender identity.

This struggle has continued for as long as she has raced, with the International Association of Athletics Federation (now World Athletics) forcing the runner to undergo gender confirmation tests. When the tests revealed that Caster Semenya had more testosterone in her blood than most women, the federation forced her on medication that was uncomfortable, leaving her with a sore body and panic attacks.

Despite the controversy and the unhelpful medication, Caster continued to excel as a middle-distance runner. She picked up gold medals at the 2011 World Athletics Championships and 2012 London Olympics, after original medalist Mariya Savinova was disqualified due to doping violations. She went on to defend her 800m title in Rio.

Now, Semenya has written and published a book titled "The Race To Be Myself: A Memoir" detailing the gender discrimination she faced at the hands of the IAAF, fellow runners, and the world at large.

On Thursday, the ex-world champion took to X (formerly Twitter) to share pictures of the billboards of her book. She captioned the photos:

"As seen in the streets of NYC "Theracetobemyself"

Caster Semenya's Memoir

In her memoir "The Race To Be Myself" Caster Semenya opens up about her childhood, dealing with the IAAF's discrimination, and the unending media scrutiny regarding her gender.

In the book, the Olympic champion speaks out about her hurdles, strongly condemning the IAAF's "ignorance and bigotry and racism, their belief that I and women like me were cheaters who didn’t belong.”

She points out the sexism of the federation and media, writing:

"People felt I had something that made my winning unfair, yet they thought nothing of cheering on the seeming inevitability of wins by genetically gifted athletes like Usain Bolt, who boasted millions more fast-twitch muscle fibers and a stride that was several inches longer than his peers. No one suggested Michael Phelps’s dominance was unfair and he should take medication so he produces just as much lactic acid as his competitors or have surgery to fix his hypermobile joints.”

In a time when gender in sports is a more prevalent discussion than ever before, Caster Semenya's book has received critical acclaim. The Telegraph gave it 4 stars, calling the book inspirational, while Barnes and Noble praised the book's captivating speed and candor.