Los Angeles

Caitlyn Jenner Doesn't Miss Life as the ‘Ultimate Male'

Caitlyn Jenner, formerly known as Bruce Jenner and once considered the greatest athlete in the world after winning the men’s decathlon at the 1976 Summer Olympics, say’s she doesn’t miss a thing about her life as the “ultimate male.”

“Hardly nobody gets to live two genders in their life,” Jenner told NBC's Matt Lauer on "Today" during an interview Wednesday. “And here I have the opportunity to do that, and to be honest, everything is so new and fun. There is nothing better in life than to wake up in the morning, look yourself in the mirror and feel comfortable with yourself and who you are.”

Over a round of golf at the Woodland Hills Country Club outside of Los Angeles, the two also spoke about the backlash over Jenner’s ESPYs award, the fatal Pacific Coast Highway crash and her gratitude for the kind reception she has felt since coming out as a transgender woman.

“You hear people say a lot that you will never truly understand the experience of other transgender men and women because of your privilege and your fame and your money,” Lauer said, noting the discrimination many in the transgender community encounter.

“You’re absolutely right,” Jenner responded. “Yes I have worked hard and was able to put a few bucks away, but for me that’s the American Dream. But, I get it. It’s devastating to me to see people dying over this issue.”

Jenner admitted she is aware that her experience is the “exception and not the rule.”

Asked about the criticism from some following the announcement that Jenner would be the Arthur Ashe Award recipient at the 2015 ESPYs, the former Olympian said she did not ask to be honored.

“They gave it to me,” Jenner said. “Did it take a lot of courage to come out? Absolutely. Did I have tremendous respect for Arthur Ashe and that award? Absolutely. And I am very honored to have that awarded to me. Not just to me, but this entire community.” 

In addition to the obstacles that Jenner has faced in the last few months since joining the LGBT community, she is possibly facing a manslaughter charge over the fatal crash on the Pacific Coast Highway earlier this year.

“Something like this, a tragedy like this, you’ll never get over,” she said of the event. “You just learn to live with it the best you can.”

“Seems like the worse case scenario you could spend a year in the county jail,” Lauer said.

“The media wants that picture,” Jenner quipped before spotlighting the issue of transgender women locked up in a male prison. “It’s an enormous problem, these are things we are looking into.”

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