Caitlyn Jenner Will Receive The Arthur Ashe Courage Award At The ESPYs

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Caitlyn Jenner will be the recipient for the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the upcoming ESPYs on June 15. The Olympic champion has lived out a very public transition from Bruce, and on Monday debuted her new name and first magazine cover as a woman.

Jenner — much like her extended Karadashian family — has been heavily covered in the media, and not always favorably. Jenner has, however, brought a new mainstream light to transgender issues, and braved heavy public ridicule and backlash during her transition from life as the former Bruce Jenner.

The Arthur Ashe Courage Award, named for the first black man to ever win in singles competition at the U.S. Open, the Australian Open, and Wimbledon, has previously been awarded to athletes such as Billie Jean King and Muhammed Ali, and non-sports figures like Nelson Mandela. The award has recently focused on gay athletes and their struggles within the sports communities and the public eye by recognizing people like Robin Roberts and Michael Sam.