“I didn’t do well in the event. I came in fourth and to this day, I don’t know what happened except to say I couldn’t find the zone. I didn’t yet understand that racing wasn’t just about being fast, it was also about strategizing and quieting the mind. I was used to running alone, my only company at times just cows and sheep and goats. I was used to running in South Africa. I couldn’t yet control my nerves. I resolved to learn and never lose again.

“This was the first time I’d ever been to a shopping mall, the first time I’d even seen or been in an athletics-wear store. The store manager was sponsoring the athletes who were heading to the World Junior Championships. I’d never owned anything close to brand-new sports attire. They gave us a pair of sneakers, a pair of new track spikes, and a white and blue track suit. I was on top of the world.

“And despite what I have endured after winning the gold medal, I want everyone to know that I would do it all over again.

““I told you I wasn’t going to make it this time, uncle. But I’m going to get you and the Nike people a gold medal at the Olympics next year.” Masilo smiled. He’d become a great friend by this point, more like a member of my family than the executive responsible for my sponsorship at a global company. “You do your thing, Caster. Rest now and you come back stronger next year. We are here for you. We believe in you.

“The IAAF thought they could shame me off the track back in 2009, but things didn’t turn out the way they usually did. We may have lost the legal battles, but I won where it matters—I still became a champion, and the IAAF exposed their true nature. This thing is no longer about secret conversations and secret surgeries and secret medication. Now the world knows more about what they have done and what they want to continue to do.