Suzy Favor Hamilton

During the 1990s, Suzy Favor Hamilton was the darling of American track and field. An all-American beauty, a national and international champion, a spokesperson for numerous major companies, and a happily married wife, she was the model for an active, healthy, and wholesome life. But her perfect facade masked a dark truth: bipolar disorder that drove her obsession to perform and win.  And when her career ended in spectacular fashion after “falling” at the 2000 Sydney games, and she no longer had that outlet, the demons came flooding in.  For years, Suzy wrestled with her condition, as well as the guilt-stricken memories of her brother Dan, who had similar symptoms and took his own life, as well as the loss of her best friend to cancer, conflicted feelings about motherhood and her marriage, and lingering shame about her athletic career. After a misdiagnosis and a recommendation for medication that only exacerbated her mania and made her hypersexual, Suzy’s life took a shocking turn.