What is Courage?

Last night at the 2015 ESPY Awards in Los Angeles, Caitlyn Jenner, formerly Bruce, was given the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. According to ESPN executive Laura Mandt, she was honored because  “she has shown the courage to embrace a truth that had been hidden for years, and to embark on a journey that may not only give comfort to those facing similar circumstances, but can also help to educate people on the challenges that the transgender community faces.” the decision to give Jenner this award has sparked controversy and debate nationwide, as many spectators have wondered if a different candidate should have been chosen.

That’s not the problem.

The real question we should all be asking is, “what is courage?” For all of those who don’t believe that Jenner is a deserving recipient, you probably forget that she was an American hero at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal as Bruce. She set a world record of 8,634 points in the decathlon, a grueling two-day track and field event. In the final lap, which was eventually a victory lap of sorts, she took an American flag from a fan and ran with it to the finish line. She then appeared on Wheaties boxes and TV commercials across the nation for decades, eventually marrying into the even more-famous Kardashian family. She finally told the world this year that she would become a woman, and revealed her more confident self to the world on the cover of Vanity Fair. To come out and tell the world that you have been living your whole life in the wrong body after being named “Sexiest Man Alive” is no small task.

LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 15: Honoree Caitlyn Jenner (R) accepts the Arthur Ashe Courage Award during The 2015 ESPYS at Microsoft Theater on July 15, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)

Perhaps you think that “runner up” Noah Galloway should have gotten the award. Sergeant Galloway was injured during his second tour of duty  in Iraq. He lost his left arm and his left leg. After rehabilitation, he now competes in 5K’s, 10K’s, Tough Mudders and Spartan events. He also came in third place on “Dancing With the Stars”. Just like the message in his motivational lectures, “no excuses”, he has persevered through the most difficult of challenges to be an incredible athlete. Some were upset that ESPN would not honor an athlete who served our country with this award, which coincidentally has gone to someone in the LGBTQ+ every year dating back to 2013.

The point here is that, in sports especially, courage comes in many different forms. Imagine putting yourself in Jenner’s shoes, coming out to the world after decades of being considered the manliest of men. At the same time, imagine being unconscious for 5 days, like Galloway, and then coming back to race in events that 99% of our population wouldn’t even dream of sniffing. The world of sports is massive, which allows for incredible stories of perseverance and strength. In every sport, there’s at least one story deserving enough of this award. How about the late Lauren Hill, who was able to live her dream of playing Division I basketball despite suffering from terminal brain cancer? How about Emmanuel Mudiay, who was able to flee the civil war in the Congo in his youth to play professional basketball in China and then be drafted in the top 10 this year?

Ever since the recipient was announced, this situation has troubled me. I understand that some people believe that serving the nation and being an impressive athlete are attributes far more deserving than being an Olympic Gold Medalist and changing gender. However, to voice an opinion with the fervor and nastiness, at times, as they have been on social media is absolutely unfair. As a sports community, we don’t necessarily have to like the opposition, but at times we do respect them. We may not all like Alex Rodriguez, but when he hit his 661st career home run, an historic moment like that should be appreciated by all sports fans. Not to say this situation is similar, but we all should appreciate the different kinds of courage that Jenner and Galloway have shown.

Galloway performing on DWTS (Photo by Adam Taylor/ABC via Getty Images)

Personally, I think that both Galloway and Jenner are more than deserving of this honor, but it’s not my place to decide who ultimately won. Being a sports fan, or just a human being, is all about rooting for success. If both have succeeded in what they want to do, then it doesn’t make a difference who wins or who loses.