From Mary Shomon Your Thyroid Guide
Thyroid Spokeswoman and Olympic Medal Winner Gail Devers Loses Chance at Olympic History
Gold medalist Gail Devers missed her chance to make Olympic history by failing to qualify for the Olympic 100 meters event in Sydney, finishing fifth in the final U.S. trials. Only the top three finalists made the team. Devers, who won gold medals in the 1992 and 1996 games, was aiming for the third straight win in the 100 meter event. Devers will try again to make the Olympic team in anotehr event, hurdles, and may also qualify for the 400 relay teams. Devers, who was known as the "fastest woman in the world,'' left her first Olympics in 1998, feeling weak, forgetful, and suffering a variety of other thyroid symptoms such as hair loss. Her famous ultra-long fingernails were breaking. Devers went from doctor to doctor, all of whom dismissed her symptoms of weight loss, fatigue, rapid heart rate, and dry skin as normal for an Olympic athlete in training. After more than two years, and in such a severe state that doctors discussed amputating her leg, Devers was finally diagnosed with an overactive thyroid due to the autoimmune condition Graves' Disease. She had radioactive iodine treatment to disable her thyroid, and was put on thyroid hormone replacement therapy. She went on to win gold medals in the 100-meter dash at the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games. (July 2000)
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