Gail Devers is one of the fastest women in the world. In 1992 she achieved fame by winning the 100-meter sprint at the Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, then became only the second woman to repeat as champion in the event as she won again at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. Possessing a rare combination of skills, Devers is also a world-class hurdler. However, Devers faced the toughest race of her life when she fought Graves' disease, a dangerous illness that affects the thyroid gland. Devers overcame the disease to become one of the leading track and field performers in the world. Her life may be the greatest comeback story in the history of the sport.

Growing up

Leave it to the Devers

Yolanda Gail Devers was born November 19, 1966, in Seattle, Washington. Devers developed a strong religious faith as a child. Her father, the Reverend Larry Devers, is...