Suzy Favor Hamilton

Suzy Favor Hamilton
Personal information
Birth name Suzy Favor
Nationality American
Born August 8, 1968
Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Residence Malibu, California[1]
Height 1.60 m (5 ft 23⁄4 in)
Spouse(s) Mark Hamilton
Sport
Sport Running
Event(s) Middle distance running
College team University of Wisconsin

Suzy Favor Hamilton (born August 8, 1968) is an American former middle distance runner.[2]

Early life and education

Suzy Favor was born in 1968 to Conrad and Rachel (Skundberg) Favor in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.[3][4] Her brother Dan Favor committed suicide in 1999.[5][6] She graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1991.[7]

Career

Running

Favor Hamilton began running at age nine. She attended and competed at Stevens Point Area Senior High, graduating in 1986. Coached by Peter Tegen, she became one of the top middle distance runners in the USA in the 1990s. Competing for the University of Wisconsin she won 9 NCAA championships and a silver medal in the 1989 World University Games. She won four USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships[8] and three USA Indoor Track and Field Championships[9] all in the 1500 metres.

In 1991 and 1992, Favor Hamilton was a volunteer assistant cross country coach at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.[10][11][12] Favor Hamilton competed in the Summer Olympics in 1992, 1996 and 2000. She finished 11th in her qualifying round race in the 1500 metres in 1992, 4th in her qualifying race in the 800 metres in 1996. She made the finals of the 1500 metres in 2000 with the second best qualifying time (1/100th of a second slower than the best by the eventual winner) and led into the final lap of the final.[13]

Favor Hamilton has said that she deliberately fell during the women's 1500m race at 2000 Summer Olympics, when it became clear that she would not win a medal.[14][15]

Prostitution

In December 2012, after being confronted by a reporter from The Smoking Gun, Favor Hamilton admitted that she worked as an escort prostitute.[16][17][18][19] She had started with Haley Heston Private Collection in December 2011,[20] using the name "Kelly Lundy."[21]

After her prostitution was exposed to the public, the Big Ten renamed the award for Female Athlete of the Year which had previously carried her name.[16] Favor Hamilton also lost several sponsorships, including one with Disney World's Rock 'n' Roll marathon and half marathon franchise.[22][23] Nike severed ties with Favor Hamilton.[24]

Personal life

While a freshman in college, she met Mark Hamilton, then a pitcher on the university baseball team. The two married a week after she graduated. Favor Hamilton lives in Malibu, California[7][11][25] and Madison, Wisconsin. Her husband is a real estate agent in Wisconsin. Favor Hamilton has one daughter.[26][27] Favor Hamilton has said that her husband knew about her prostitution.[28]

References

  1. ↑ "Suzy Favor Hamilton (@favorhamilton) op Twitter". Twitter.com. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  2. ↑ Favor Hamilton, Suzy and Antonio, Jose: Fast Track: Training and Nutrition Secrets from America's Top Female Runner, Rodale Books, 2004. ISBN 1-59486-013-0
  3. ↑ O'Brien, Richard (June 11, 1990). "Wisconsin's Suzy Favor doubled at the NCAAs". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Favored Status : Marketing Focus on Hamilton's Looks Has Benefits, but It Doesn't Always Go Over With Her or Her Opponents". Los Angeles Times. July 9, 1992. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Suzy Favor Hamilton Talks about Her Brother’s Suicide, Facing Her Own Darkness". Wsaw.com. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Olympian Suzy Favor Hamilton says she's worked as an escort". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "She's Adjusting to Living Life On the Run : Track: After a busy year, former Wisconsin middle-distance standout Suzy Hamilton is hopeful that she will be in top form at Olympic Trials". Los Angeles Times. September 6, 2000. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  8. ↑ "USA Outdoor Track & Field Champions". USA Track & Field.
  9. ↑ "USA Indoor Track & Field Champions". USA Track & Field.
  10. ↑ "BaseballAtlanta Braves - Activated OF Deion...". Baltimore Sun. September 25, 1991. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Unheralded Boakes Takes Miami Mile". Sun Sentinel. January 20, 1992. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Names In The Game". Associated Press. September 23, 1991. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Suzy Favor Hamilton". SR/Olympic Sports.
  14. ↑ Hegarty, Stephanie. "Should athletes prepare for defeat?".
  15. ↑ Longman, Jere (October 1, 2000). "Sydney 2000: Women's 1,500; A Mysterious Fall by Favor Hamilton". The New York Times. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Suzy Favor Hamilton's name stripped from Big Ten award". USA Today. July 2, 2013. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  17. ↑ "U.S. Olympian's Secret Life As Las Vegas Escort". The Smoking Gun. December 20, 2012.
  18. ↑ "Report: Olympian Suzy Favor Hamilton worked as high-priced escort". Los Angeles Times. December 21, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  19. ↑ "Former Olympian Cites Depression for Taking Job as Escort". The New York Times. December 20, 2012.
  20. ↑ "Suzy Favor Hamilton". radaronline.com. December 22, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  21. ↑ "Suzy Favor Hamilton Stripped Of Award". Latin Post. July 3, 2013.
  22. ↑ "Suzy Favor Hamilton: Disney Cuts Ties With Ex-Olympian Turned Escort". Eonline.com. December 21, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  23. ↑ Coker, Matt (July 3, 2013). "Suzy Favor Hamilton, Olympic Runner Barred as Disneyland Marathon Promoter Due to Her Paid-Escort Services, is Deep-Sixed by Big Ten". Blogs.ocweekly.com. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  24. ↑ "Hamilton, Big Ten sports icon, admits to working as call girl". Chicago Tribune. December 21, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  25. ↑ "Sports: Favor Hamilton gets focus back on track". St. Petersburg Times. July 18, 2000. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  26. ↑ "Your Family : Summer 2008" (PDF). Markhmailtonrealestate.com. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  27. ↑ "Olympian Favor Hamilton finds true gold". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. July 21, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  28. ↑ "Suzy Favor Hamilton says she has worked as escort". ESPN. December 21, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2014.

External links