Bruce Jenner, who won gold as a decathlete in the 1976 Summer Games, has not publicly spoken about transitioning to a woman.
“It was a shock. It’s hard to wrap your mind around it"
But now, speaking with Associated Press, Bruce's 88-year-old mother, Esther, has publicly praised her son for his courage.
She explained that she found out about his journey when he sat her down for a 'long, serious talk'.
“He said, ‘I want to be honest about my identity and I know this is coming out in the press,’" began Esther.
"He started by saying, `We need to have a long, serious talk'."
Esther confessed that she was left stunned by the bombshell, saying: “It was a shock. It’s hard to wrap your mind around it.”
But she explained that Bruce helped to reassure her by insisting he would still be the son she always knew.
“He said, ‘Mom, I’m still the same person.’ He said, ‘I’m still going to race cars, I’m still going to fly airplanes and I’m going to get my helicopter license,'” Esther continued.
She went on to add: “I am at peace with what he is and what he’s doing.”
And, while some have suggested that Bruce's transition could be hard for his family, Esther has firmly put these rumours to rest.
She finished: “The family is close and very supportive of Bruce and we’re supportive of each other.
“I never thought I could be more proud of Bruce when he reached his [Olympic] goal in 1976, but I’m more proud of him now.
"It takes a lot of courage to do what he’s doing.”
A publicist for the 65-year-old Jenner would not comment about his mother's remarks.