Suzy Favor Hamilton competing at the 2003 Prefontaine Classic. (photo: Image of Sport)

Nearly three years after the news broke out that Suzy Favor Hamilton was secretly working as a Las Vegas escort, the three-time Olympian is set to release a memoir that details her story. 

 

“Fast Girl: A Life Spent Running from Madness,” hits stores September 14 and tells the story of Favor Hamilton’s battle with mental illness through her athletic and personal career. 
 

Favor Hamilton competed at the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games, and was a seven-time national champion. As the memoir summary from Harper Collins states, the middle-distance standout suffered from manic depression and bipolar disorder, which “drove her obsession to perform and win.” 

 

After retiring from the track, Favor Hamilton continued to battle with her condition. She suffered from a misdiagnosis and recommendation for medication that exacerbated her mania, which eventually led her to lead a double life as a $600-an-hour Las Vegas escort under the name Kelly.

 

“But Suzy could not keep her double life a secret forever. When it was eventually exposed, it sent her into a reckless suicidal period where the only option seemed out. Finally, with the help of her devoted husband, Suzy finally got the proper medical help she needed. In this startling frank memoir, she recounts the journey to outrun her demons, revealing how a woman used to physically controlling her body learned to come to terms with her unstable mind.”

 

Favor Hamilton’s memoir summary also states that by sharing her story, she is determined to “raise awareness, provide understanding, and offer inspiration to others coping with their own challenges.”