Caitlyn Jenner says struggles with gender dysphoria contributed to Olympic success

Caitlyn Jenner has divulged that her "gender issues" contributed to her professional success in the Olympics and that she now sees that struggle, along with her dyslexia, as a "gift".

Before coming out as a transgender woman, the 70-year-old won gold in the 1976 Olympics in the men’s decathlon event and became a sporting hero in the US at the time.

Now, Jenner has said she was "ignoring" her internal struggles during training for the games, but they didn’t disappear completely.

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Writing in Women's Health, she shared: "​When you suffer from gender dysphoria, it’s not something you can take two aspirin for, get plenty of sleep, wake up the next morning, and everything’s fine. You’re just kind of stuck with it.

"I didn’t understand it, and I didn’t know what was going on with me. But it was also my dyslexia and gender issues that made me an Olympic champion.

"I channeled my struggles to drive and push me. Now, I see those issues as my gift."

It's been five years since Jenner introduced Caitlyn to the world in her Vanity Fair ‘Call Me Caitlyn’ cover shoot as she publicly came out as a transgender woman at the age of 65.

She went on to write in the publication that five years on "everything finally feels like it's in the right place" as she's "not struggling anymore".

Jenner's youngest daughters Kendall and Kylie Jenner also recently opened up on how their parent's bravery in transitioning had "inspired" them.

“Because of my dad’s bravery, I’ve learned to love what I love and not be ashamed of it,” Kendall, 24, told People.