Hoax: Galloway Wasn’t Runner-Up to Caitlyn Jenner’s Arthur Ashe Award

A meme circulating on social media claims that Caitlyn Jenner has won the Arthur Ashe Courage Award over Army veteran Noah Galloway.

It’s not true.

While it was announced on June 1, 2015 that Jenner is set to receive the award, there is no evidence that a runner-up was chosen, nor was Galloway’s name mentioned in the press release by ESPN.

Almost 40 years ago, Bruce Jenner’s Olympic success came as a result of strengthening both his mind and body leading to his status as one of the world’s greatest athletes, but the decision to publicly come out as a transgender woman took a different kind of courage and acceptance of one’s self. To celebrate that bravery, ESPN today announced that Jenner will be presented with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at The 2015 ESPYS Presented by Capital One.

Soon after the announcement, however, the following graphic began circulating, with the implication that Jenner was chosen over Galloway who was the “runner up.”

What a joke pic.twitter.com/SD7sTVzGSY

— Military USA (@MiIitaryUSA) June 2, 2015

Another version reads, “Caitlyn Jenner won the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. The runner up was this guy: Army Veteran Noah Galloway, who lost an arm and leg to a roadside bomb in Iraq, and now competes in Crossfit events, runs marathons, and competed in the 58-hour Death Race.”

The New York Daily News points out that many on social media felt that college basketball star Lauren Hill, who played with a brain tumor during her freshman year, may have also been an appropriate choice.

Later Developments

On June 3, Bristol Palin published a blog post which stated, “…it drives me crazy that people like Noah don’t get recognized for sacrificing their LIFE for our country, while being gay/transgender makes you a hero.” Critics suggest that Palin was “duped,” although some writers such as David French at National Review defended the comparison, only backing off from the use of the term “runner-up.”

ESPN issued a statement the same day which clarified the decision to choose Jenner:

The Arthur Ashe Courage Award is meant to honor individuals whose contributions transcend sports through courageous action. Sometimes that courage is demonstrated over the course of a lifetime and sometimes it is demonstrated in a single act that shines a light on an important contemporary issue. At all times, there are many worthy candidates. This year, we are proud to honor Caitlyn Jenner embracing her identity and doing so in a public way to help move forward a constructive dialogue about progress and acceptance.

Bottom Line

Caitlyn Jenner has been announced to receive the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, but there was no runner-up announced, as a popular meme suggests.