Caitlyn Jenner gave an inspiring, touching, and vital speech at the ESPYs last Wednesday, when she accepted the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. Her words about the transgender community, in particular, left a powerful impact on audiences. In a new blog post, titled “How I Conquered My Biggest Fear at the ESPYs,” Jenner writes about the thrill, nerves, relief, and yes, even some disappointment that came with one of the biggest nights of her life.
Alongside photos of herself with Abby Wambach (who introduced her at the ceremony), her family, and her prestigious trophy, Jenner opens up about everything from her experience getting ready to wear that gorgeous Donatella Versace dress (“I wanted to feel good. I wanted to feel pretty. I wanted to be myself”) to her anxiety when it came to speaking to a global audience (“As a dyslexic kid, my biggest fear in life was to go in front of the class and read because I just wasn’t very good at it — and that stays with you through your whole life”).
While “getting glamorous for the ESPYs was a big process to go through,” Jenner writes that the hardest part was looking out into the audience and seeing her biggest supporters, including Diane Sawyer and the members of Jenner's family in attendance. Jenner is also bravely candid about her struggles with her “voice issue.” As she puts it, “It’s not quite right compared to my feminine appearance. That bothers me a little bit. However, I hope that people don’t listen to the pitch of my voice, but listen to what I have to say.” Well said, indeed.
Considering what a whirlwind Jenner has been through in recent months, what’s truly remarkable is that she still maintains her big-picture perspective. Even though the ESPYs brought her great joy and great stress, it’s not just about her anymore. “There is so much misunderstanding of this community that I’m in. People don’t understand trans issues or gender identity issues. Now I’m in a position to try to explain it to people, to try to get them to understand that these are serious issues that affect a lot of people. That’s what my mission has been from the beginning, and I hope that I achieved that at the ESPYs,” she writes.
Jenner concludes the piece with the hopeful battle cry, “We’re changing hearts and minds one at a time.”
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