Bruce Jenner

Caitlyn Marie Jenner, born William Bruce Jenner on October 28, 1949, is an American media personality and retired Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete. Jenner gained international fame after winning the men's decathlon event at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, setting a world record and earning recognition as an all-American hero. Following a successful athletic career, Jenner established a prominent presence across television, film, writing, auto racing, business, and modeling.

Jenner was born in Mount Kisco, New York, to Esther Ruth and William Hugh Jenner, an arborist. Raised alongside a younger brother, Burt, Jenner was diagnosed with dyslexia as a child. Jenner attended Sleepy Hollow High School and Newtown High School before earning a football scholarship to Graceland College in Lamoni, Iowa. After a knee injury required surgery and ended a college football career, track coach L. D. Weldon encouraged Jenner to pursue the decathlon. Jenner debuted as a decathlete at the 1970 Drake Relays and graduated from Graceland in 1973 with a degree in physical education.

Jenner's decathlon career escalated rapidly following a tenth-place finish at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. After moving to San Jose, California, Jenner underwent intense daily training while working in insurance sales. Jenner won the U.S. national championship in 1974, the French national championship in 1975, and a gold medal at the 1975 Pan American Games. Between 1975 and 1976, Jenner set consecutive world records in the decathlon, culminating at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. There, Jenner recorded personal bests in multiple events to win the gold medal with a world-record score of 8,618 points.

Following the 1976 victory, Jenner carried an American flag during a victory lap, initiating a lasting tradition among winning athletes. For these athletic achievements, Jenner received the 1976 James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States and was named the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year. Jenner was later inducted into several halls of fame, including the United States National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Olympic Hall of Fame in 1986.

Retiring from track and field immediately after the 1976 Games, Jenner transitioned into commercial endorsements and media work. Jenner became a spokesperson for brands including Tropicana, Minolta, Buster Brown shoes, and Wheaties cereal, while also appearing on the cover of Playgirl magazine. Jenner was selected by the Kansas City Kings in the 1977 NBA draft as a publicity stunt. Jenner's entertainment career began with co-hosting the talk series America Alive! in 1978, followed by roles in films such as Can't Stop the Music and television series including CHiPs.

Jenner has six children from marriages to Chrystie Crownover, Linda Thompson, and Kris Jenner. From 2007 to 2021, Jenner appeared on the reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians alongside family members. In April 2015, Jenner publicly came out as transgender, adopting the name Caitlyn in July of that year, and starred in the docuseries I Am Cait from 2015 to 2016. A member of the Republican Party, Jenner ran in the 2021 California gubernatorial recall election, finishing 13th, and subsequently joined Fox News as an on-air contributor.