Olympian blames depression for double life as Las Vegas call girl

Aug 28, 2023

This was published 10 years ago

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SUZY FAVOR HAMILTON is so highly regarded in the US that one of the most prestigious college athletic awards is named after her.

That image is in stunning contrast with Hamilton's admission that she spent parts of the last year as a $US600-an-hour call girl.

Fall from grace ... Hamilton at home.Credit: AP

In a story first reported on thesmokinggun.com and on her Twitter feed, Hamilton took full responsibility for what she called ''a huge mistake''. She said depression had contributed to her decision to work for a Las Vegas escort service.

The Smoking Gun story recounts how Hamilton, a three-time Olympian, nine-time National Collegiate Athletic Association champion and three-time Big Ten female athlete of the year, the award that now bears her name, was leading a dual life - mother, wife, motivational speaker, sponsor representative and real estate professional in Madison, Wisconsin; call girl in Las Vegas, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston and other cities.

''I do not expect people to understand, but the reasons for doing this made sense to me at the time and were very much related to depression,'' Hamilton, 44, tweeted on Thursday. ''I cannot emphasise enough how sorry I am to anyone I have hurt as a result of my actions and greatly appreciate the support from family and those closest to me. I fully intend to make amends and get back to being a good mother, wife, daughter, and friend.''

Until now, the most dramatic public moment of Hamilton's life was her tumble to the track with 70 metres to go in the 1500-metre final at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. She had led with 130 metres left but wound up walking to the finish and left the stadium in a wheelchair.

At the time, she attributed the fall to dehydration from medicine she was taking for a hamstring injury. A year later, Hamilton said she fell on purpose after a panic attack caused by self-imposed pressure to win for her brother, who had committed suicide in 1999.

Hamilton, once the glamour girl of track and field, said she has been seeking help from a psychologist.

Known as ''Kelly'' on the website of the escort service for which she worked since last December, Hamilton told The Smoking Gun she suspected a client revealed who she was. According to The Smoking Gun, one of her escort service clients offered a reporter money to prevent the story from getting out.

Hamilton said her husband, Mark, knew of her escort work and tried to get her to stop. ''I realise I have made highly irrational choices and I take full responsibility for them,'' Hamilton tweeted. ''I am not a victim here and knew what I was doing.

''I was drawn to escorting in large part because it provided many coping mechanisms for me when I was going through a very challenging time with my marriage and my life. It provided an escape from a life that I was struggling in.''

Thursday's revelations have already cost her one commercial deal.

The Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series said it was ending its relationship with Hamilton. That deal called for her to appear at ''four or five'' events a year as part of its running legends program, according to spokesman Dan Cruz of the Competitor Group, which owns the series.

Hamilton had a long sponsorship deal with Nike and recently has worked for Walt Disney World and the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association.

''We regret having learned about this today,'' said Duane Maatz, executive director of the Wisconsin agricultural group. ''We will be evaluating our relationship with her.''