'I know I'm a girl and I have nothing to hide'

Pippa Hudson interviews Caster Semenya, two-time women’s 800m Olympic champion, a three-time 800m world champion and a double Commonwealth Games middle distance gold medallist.

Caster Semenya – someone whose achievements on the athletics track have brought her medals, world titles and international acclaim – but also a place in intrusive newspaper headlines, invasive tests and humiliating speculation.

Semenya did not set out wanting her life to be the subject of international rumour – all she wanted to do was run, and in her her new book The Race to be Myself, she opens up for the first time about the high price she's had paid for pursuing that dream.

"I allowed them to understand me as a person, not as a monster"

Born in Ga-Masehlong, a village near Polokwane, Semenya was raised like any other girl filled with hope, dreams and aspirations.

Because of the guidance, acceptance and love from her family, it set the tone as to how the community engaged and viewed her.

Semenya created spaces for community members to better understand her, not because she craved the acceptance or validation, but because she was proud of who she was.

Sitting down with Hudson, it's clear to see the core value that she uses to navigate her life – respect.

"How your family treats you is how the community will do." Caster Semenya

"I never questioned myself. I always understood my identity. I always knew that I was a woman." Caster Semenya

"Running heals me; it completes me"

In 2006, Semenya realised that running was her escape – she felt free, out of her head and away from all of the struggles in life.

On the track, it was her against herself, she says.

She adds that wasn't (and still isn't) concerned about her opponents, but about finishing the crossing line for herself.

This mindset has seen Semneya take home a plethora of titles: two-time women’s 800m Olympic champion, a three-time 800m world champion and a double Commonwealth Games middle distance gold medallist.

"It's not about how I start, it's about how I finish." Caster Semenya

"At the end of the day, I know I'm a girl and I have nothing to hide."

At the age of 18, her life got turned upside down.

Semenya was about to leave for her first major international competition, when she got summoned for medical testing which was an alleged requirement to allow Athletics South Africa to give her the green light to board the flight.

After being left in the dark, she was then told that it was gender testing, which included invasive and unnecessary tests-after-tests.

The blood results showed high levels of testosterone and she was told to withdraw from the competition.

"Over my dead body." Caster Semenya

While acknowledging that she's 'different', she knew who she was and didn't need tests to confirm nor deny it.

She says that when people are doing well in life and are achieving greatness, people will try to drag you down by any means necessary.

"I feel like this test; they're doing it deliberately to make me step off the track." Caster Semenya

"When you do good, people will always find a way to destroy you." Caster Semenya

"I'm thankful for those who tried to destroy me...It gave rise to Caster Semenya"

Things then took a turn for the worst – her blood results were leaked.

The International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) offered three options:

1. Withdraw from the competition altogether

2. Have surgery to remove parts that didn't correspond with her female identity

3. Go on medication to reduce her naturally-occurring testosterone levels

Semenya says that her performance stems from her training, dedication, perseverance and disciple; not her testosterone levels.

If she is wrong and it is in fact based on her testosterone levels, she questions: "Why am I not faster than men?"

After her work ethic was put into question, Semenya decided that this was the time to fight, not only for herself, but for all of the other women of colour facing the same scrutiny.

With surgery out of the question, she went the medication route.

"There are a lot of women who are masculine, there are a lot of women that are tall, there are a lot of women that are broad." Caster Semenya

"It was the darkest time of my life"

The purpose of the medication was to convince them to allow her back into the competition, but this was by no means the easy way out.

Everything that she knew changed...who she was changed.

Her happy go lucky demeanor turned into depression, anxiety, nausea and "eating like a monster".

She says that it destroyed her.

Knowing what she knows now, she encourages young girls to stay away from this as it's medication that's not designed for your body.

In fact, Semenya says that there's no research or evidence to prove the effectiveness of the medication.

"Now it's my job to make sure that I fight for what's right"

Semenya has and will always fight against injustices and exclusivity, while advocating for the rights of young African girls with the similar 'condition'.

"God has planned this life for me to be the change." Caster Semenya

To purchase a copy of her memoir, click here.

Scroll up to listen to the full interview.