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General Mills: Bruce Jenner Is Still a Respected Member of Team Wheaties

Jenner is no longer an Olympic athlete, but he's still a champion

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Jessica Roy

After his brave interview with Diane Sawyer, many people echoed the sentiment that Bruce Jenner deserved to grace the Wheaties box again. The makers of Wheaties responded this week by expressing their support for him.

"Bruce Jenner continues to be a respected member of Team Wheaties," said a spokesman for General Mills in a statement to TheWrap.

"I am a woman" and 14 more moving statements from Bruce Jenner's 20/20 interview

In 1977, the Olympic gold medalist was named a spokesperson for the brand and appeared on the iconic orange box. During his 20/20 interview, Jenner admitted that at that time he was "a confused person" who was struggling with his gender identity and "running away from who I was."

On the cereal brand's website, they have a "Team Wheaties" section whose members are called "the definition of a champion."

Bruce Jenner won a gold medal in the decathlon event at the 1976 Olympics. He set a new record for the event, leading him to be named "the greatest athlete in the world."

Since the interview aired, people have been trying to cash in by selling his original Wheaties box on eBay for $400-$500 each.

The Wheaties box has had a history of celebrating progress: In 1935, they put a woman athlete on the box (golfer Babe Didrikson Zaharias) and a year later, had the first black athlete on the box -- Olympian Jesse Owens. In 2012, 9-year-old Samantha Gordon became the first female football player to be featured by Wheaties.

If Bruce Jenner were to be featured again, he would be the first openly transgender person to appear on a box of Wheaties.

Look back at Caitlyn Jenner's inspiring journey: