Caster Semenya working on memoir, ‘Silence All the Noise’

NEW YORK —
Olympic gold medallist Caster Semenya is working on a book about her triumphs as a runner and her experiences as an intersex woman with naturally high testosterone levels, including her battles to be eligible for competition.

“Silence All the Noise,” which does not yet have a release date, was acquired by W.W. Norton & Company. The publisher also plans a young readers edition.

“My life has had its struggles, but it has mostly been a joy. Through my example, I want to educate, enlighten, and inform about how the world can welcome those born different,” the South African superstar said in a statement Tuesday.

“You may have heard some of my story over the years, and you might have seen me running or standing proudly on the podium at the Olympics. But there is still so much I need to relate about strength, courage, love, resilience, and being true to who you are. I want this book to show people around the world how to do just that.”

Besides her Olympic medals, the 30-year-old Semenya has won three world championship titles. But she was barred from the women’s 400-metre and 800-metre races at the Olympics in Tokyo this summer and has endured near-constant interference by track authorities. She has refused to abide by rules established in 2018 that require her to lower her testosterone levels artificially — whether from birth control pills, hormone-blocking injections or surgery.

“Why will I take drugs?” Semenya said in 2019. “I’m a pure athlete. I don’t cheat. They should focus on doping, not us.”