If you’ve spent any time on the internet over the last decade, you’ve probably seen the name Caster Semenya. Usually, it’s followed by some clinical-sounding debate about testosterone, biology, or courtrooms. It’s heavy stuff. But honestly? While the world was arguing over her right to run, Semenya was busy building a life that has nothing to do with stopwatches or IAAF regulations. At the center of that life is Violet Raseboya.
They aren't just a "celebrity couple." They are a case study in how to stay sane when the entire world has an opinion on your body and your marriage. You've likely seen the headlines about their legal wins, but the real story is about how they survived a decade of public scrutiny while raising a family in South Africa.
The Meet-Cute That Wasn't Exactly Cute
Most people assume they met at some glamorous sports gala. Nope. It was 2007. They were both teenagers, and things didn't start off smoothly. Violet actually didn't realize Caster was a girl.
"We met in a restroom," Violet once admitted in an interview. She was actually suspicious of Caster, thinking she was a boy who had wandered into the wrong place. Caster, being herself, didn't back down. She reportedly shot back with a witty comment about her own identity, and that was it. The spark was weirdly there.
They dated on and off for eight years. Think about that for a second. That means Violet was there before the 2009 Berlin World Championships. She was there when the "gender testing" rumors first leaked to the press. She was there when Caster was a teenager being poked and prodded by doctors. That’s not just a relationship; it’s a partnership forged in a fire that would have melted most people.
A Wedding That Broke the Internet (Twice)
In South Africa, tradition is a big deal. The couple actually had two ceremonies. The first was a traditional wedding in Ga-Dikgale in 2015. It was colorful, cultural, and mostly private.
📖 Related: Amanda Batula Swim Line: What Most People Get Wrong
Then came 2017.
On Caster’s 26th birthday, they went all out with a white wedding in Pretoria. You might remember the photos. Caster looked like a literal prince in a dark, Asian-inspired suit with gold embroidery. Violet was in a classic white gown. They looked happy. Like, genuinely happy. It was a massive middle finger to the critics who had spent years questioning Caster's womanhood. By marrying the woman she loved, Caster was basically saying, "I don't need your permission to exist."
Fast forward to January 2026, and they just celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary. Nine years. In celebrity time, that’s an eternity. Caster posted a tribute to Violet recently, calling it their "9th chapter." She even asked for the blessings of her ancestors—a nod to her heritage that she's never let go of, no matter how global her fame became.
The "Miracle" Kids and the Struggle to Get There
If you follow Caster on Instagram, you know she’s a total "girl dad." But what most people don't realize is how hard it was for them to become parents.
Violet has been surprisingly open about their IVF journey. It wasn't a one-and-done thing. They went through four unsuccessful insemination processes before their first daughter, Oratile, was born in 2019. Violet calls her a "miracle." Then in 2022, they welcomed their second daughter, Oarabile.
They’re super protective of the kids. You’ll see photos of the girls from the back, or with their faces obscured. They’re trying to give those kids a normal childhood in a world where their mom is a historical figure. It's a weird balance to strike, but they seem to be nailing it.
💡 You might also like: Is Christina Applegate Sick? What Really Happened With the Star
The Legal Battle Is Over, but the Impact Isn't
Look, we have to talk about the sports stuff because it’s the shadow that has followed them everywhere. For seven years, Caster fought World Athletics. She refused to take hormone-suppressing drugs because she wasn't "sick." She argued that being born with high testosterone was no different than a basketball player being born seven feet tall.
In late 2025, she finally closed that book. Even though she won a massive ruling at the European Court of Human Rights, the reality is that World Athletics just kept tightening the rules. By September 2025, they introduced even stricter genetic testing.
Caster is 34 now. She knows her time on the elite track is likely done. But she hasn't vanished. She’s transitioned into coaching and human rights advocacy. She’s basically said, "I've said everything I need to say." She isn't fighting for her own gold medals anymore; she's fighting so that the next girl with a biological difference doesn't have to go through the "humiliation" she did.
What Most People Miss
The biggest misconception? That Caster and Violet are victims.
If you see them at public events in 2026, they don't look like people who have been defeated. They look like a power couple. Violet isn't just "the wife"—she was an athlete herself, and she’s been Caster’s unofficial manager, protector, and hype-woman for nearly twenty years.
They live in Pretoria. They stay relatively low-key. They focus on their foundation and their kids. In a world that wanted to categorize Caster as an "anomaly" or a "controversy," she chose to be a wife and a mother. That’s probably the most rebellious thing she could have done.
Insights for the Long Haul
If you're looking for the "actionable" takeaway from their story, it’s pretty simple.
🔗 Read more: Kevin Costner Wife Age: What Most People Get Wrong
- Support systems are everything. Caster has explicitly said she couldn't have survived the legal battles without Violet. Find your person.
- Privacy is a choice. You don't owe the public every detail of your family life, even if you're a world champion.
- Pivot when necessary. Caster can't run 800m at the Olympics anymore, so she’s training the next generation. Life changes; you adapt.
The legal fight might be over, but the legacy of Caster Semenya and her wife is just getting started. They didn't just survive the headlines—they outlived them.
If you want to understand the current landscape of sports law, looking into the 2025 World Athletics "SRY gene" regulations is a good place to start. It's the new hurdle that athletes are facing, and it shows that while Caster's personal battle is done, the conversation about gender in sports is nowhere near finished.