Gail Devers ’89

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Gail Devers’ professional achievement was having one of the greatest comebacks in the history of track and field. Once known as the “World’s Fastest Woman,” this eight-time World Champion and a three-time Olympic gold medalist overcame more than a few hurdles on her way to the finish line.

A star athlete in high school, Devers chose UCLA after being heavily recruited by several universities. She thrived on UCLA’s track team, securing a series of first-place finishes during several Pac-10 Championships and the Pan Am Games. In her senior year, she was named the Pac-10 Athlete of the Year after winning the NCAA 100-meter dash and setting an American record in the 100-meter hurdles. She finished with a degree in sociology and UCLA inducted her into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.

Despite her athletic success, Devers was afflicted with a series of health problems beginning in 1988. She suffered migraine headaches, sleeplessness, fainting spells and frequent vision loss. Her feet became so blistered and swollen, the skin cracked and bled, forcing her to stop running. She was diagnosed in 1990 with Graves' disease, a rare and debilitating chronic thyroid disorder. She faced the threat of amputation of both her feet.

Devers slowly resumed her training and with lots of hard work, perseverance and faith, she was competing again by March 1991, less than 17 months after the diagnosis. In 1992, she won her first gold medal in the 100-meter dash at the Barcelona Olympics. In 1993, she continued her winning streak, earning seven championship titles. At the world championships in Germany, she won both the 100-meter dash and 100-meter hurdles - a feat that had not been achieved in 45 years. Then in 1995, she secured the No. 1 U.S. ranking for the 100-meter hurdles after winning the National Champion and World Champion titles.

Devers repeated her 1992 performance during the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta by winning the gold medal in the 100-meter dash, becoming only the second woman to win the prestigious event for two consecutive Olympics. She also won gold as part of the 4x100 meter relay team. In 2000, she won the 100-meter hurdles at the U.S. Olympic Trials, re-setting her own American record with the event's fastest time in eight years.

Off the track, Devers is active in humanitarian activities. She regularly makes appearances to educate the public on Graves’ disease and other thyroid conditions, leading fundraising efforts and testifying before Congress. In 1999, she established the Gail Devers Foundation to fund education, health and community development projects. She continues to talk and inspire youth to overcome odds and achieve their dreams.

Currently, Devers lives with her husband Mike Phillips and their two young daughters.