Claim: Caitlyn Jenner changed her first name.

Caitlyn Marie Jenner -LRB- born October 28 , 1949 -RRB- , formerly known as Bruce Jenner , is an American television personality and retired Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete . Jenner was a college football player for the Graceland Yellowjackets before incurring a knee injury that required surgery . Coach L. D. Weldon , who had coached Olympic decathlete Jack Parker , convinced Jenner to try the decathlon . After intense training , Jenner won the 1976 Olympics decathlon event at the Montreal Olympic Games , gaining fame as `` an all-American hero '' . Jenner set a third successive world record while winning the Olympics . The winner of the Olympic decathlon is traditionally given the unofficial title of `` world 's greatest athlete '' . With that stature , Jenner subsequently established a career in television , film , writing , auto racing , business and as a Playgirl cover model .   Jenner has six children from marriages to wives Chrystie Crownover , Linda Thompson , and Kris Jenner . Since 2007 , Jenner has appeared on the reality television series Keeping Up with the Kardashians with Kris , their daughters Kendall and Kylie Jenner , and step-children Kourtney , Kim , Khloé , and Rob Kardashian . Previously identifying publicly as male , Jenner revealed her identity as a trans woman in April 2015 , publicly announcing her name change from Bruce to Caitlyn in a July 2015 Vanity Fair cover story . Her name and gender change became official on September 25 , 2015 . She has been called the most famous openly transgender woman in the world . From 2015 to 2016 , Jenner starred in the reality television series I Am Cait , which focused on her gender transition .