South African Olympic runner Caster Semenya is challenging criticism against her yet again as she covers the body issue of Out Magazine.

Semenya has been running competitively since the age of 17. Hailing from the remote village of Fairlie, in Limpopo, South Africa, she took the racing world by storm in her first outing in 2008 at the Commonwealth Youth Games.

Her success has been met with widespread criticism. The 28-year-old runner has been at the center of a gender controversy for nearly four years. At the height of her runner career, the out and proud lesbian athlete was accused of having an edge over other female competitors due to a high testosterone count.

The International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) devised rules in 2018 that would directly impact Semenya. She was told she would have to take a daily contraceptive pill, receive a monthly testosterone-blocking injection or have surgery to compete.

However, there were challenges to the new rules. In June, Semenya finally received a break in her case. A Swiss court ruled to suspend the IAAF's testosterone rules. The temporary suspension is still in limbo. For now, Semenya can compete at the world championships starting on September 27 in Doha, Qatar, Time reports.

Other African runners, such as Francis Niyonsaba of Burundi and Margaret Wambui of Kenya, were also temporarily protected by the ruling.

“What they’re saying is, when a woman performs at a high level, it’s a problem,” Semenya told Time. “But when a man performs, ohhhh great, all hail the greatest.”

Semenya is a two-time Olympic gold medalist. She is also one of the best runners in the world, according to experts.

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“As long as I remember, it was all about being free.” For #CasterSemenya, being a girl from a remote village in Limpopo, South Africa, meant a life of chores, like fetching water and cleaning the house. But for her, games with the local boys were her retreat from housework; her escape from being taunted for her tomboyish ways was running as far as her legs could take her. As a teenager, she found track and field’s middle distance mainly out of circumstance—her hometown didn’t have the resources that city kids had to learn the technical skills required of top-tier sprinters. “So I just decided, OK, in the middle distance I can just run anywhere I want. I can run from one village to another. I can just run without any supervision.” And so, she did exactly that, and eventually won medals, broke records, and carried her country’s flag at the Olympics. ✨ Tap the link in bio to read our complete profile of Semenya, thrust into an international spotlight by her raw talent — a spotlight she’s been battling ever since. ???? @danascruggs ???? @yashuasimmons⁠

A post shared by Out Magazine (@outmagazine) on Jul 23, 2019 at 5:54am PDT

Semenya told Out that fighting for her right to compete is bigger than just her. She wants to inspire the world.

“It’s not about performing; it’s about inspiring the world, changing the world…changing how people see life,” Semenya said. “When I walk on the track is when I feel free.”

Free she is.

Among her many gold medals and other achievements, her marriage to fellow South African runner Violet Raseboya ranks high.

Semenya intends on racing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with hopes of bringing home more gold.

“As long as I remember, it was all about being free,” she told Out magazine. “When I do sports is when I feel happy. I feel free.”

Out-Magazine

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