The Story of Olympic Champion Gary Hall Jr.

Since getting underway, most U.S. Olympic swimming fans have been enthralled by Michael Phelps’ pursuit of 19 medals, the stellar performances of Ryan Lochte and Allison Schmitt, and the rise of Missy Franklin. As we enjoy the amazing feats of all of our Olympic athletes, I would like to tell readers about one of my favorite Olympians, Gary Hall Jr., who is a decorated former U.S. Olympic swimmer with type 1 diabetes.

Swimming runs in Gary Hall Jr.’s family. His father, whom he was named after, competed in the 1968, 1972, and 1976 Olympic games, and his uncle Charles Keating III also competed in the 1976 games. Gary Jr., like his father, competed in three Olympic games (1996, 2000, and 2004), and they are the only father-son duo to accomplish this feat!

At the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Gary Hall Jr. medaled in four events. He earned gold medals in the 4 x 100m freestyle relay and the 4 x 100m medley relay and silver medals in the 50m and 100m freestyle. After his performance in the 1996 games, his future in the sport appeared to be very bright until he received the diagnosis.

Gary Hall Jr. at 2000 Olympic Games.
Source: CNN/Sports Illustrated

In March 1999, Gary Hall Jr. was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Initially, his doctors told him that his days as a competitive swimmer were over. Gary explained in a 2004 interview with Diabetes Health that he went through the usual stages of depression and anger following the diagnosis before finally accepting that he had diabetes. Despite being told by doctors that his career was over, Gary Hall Jr. was determined to keep swimming. He met Dr. Anne Peters Harmel, an endocrinologist from UCLA who encouraged him to continue his training regimen. Her impact on Gary and his swimming career cannot be overstated. While other doctors were telling Gary to give up swimming, she helped him understand that he could manage the disease and continue to pursue his dreams of becoming the best swimmer in the world.

Gary competed in two Olympic games with type 1 diabetes and earned six additional medals. He won two gold medals without diabetes. He won three gold medals with the disease. In 2004, he made the U.S. Olympic swim team at the age of 29 and was the oldest person to make the team in eighty years. Gary started the Gary Hall Jr. Foundation for Diabetes, which provides support for cure-focused research. His story is truly inspirational for all persons with diabetes especially those who love to compete in sports! To hear Gary Hall Jr. tell his story, check out the video on the right side of the blog.