Gary Hall Jr. is an Olympic gold medallist who represented the United States at swimming in 1996, 2000 and 2004.
He won gold in 2000 and 2004 following a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in 1999.
Swimming career
Following in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and uncle, who all competed on the U.S. Olympic swimming team, Hall qualified for the 1994 National Swim Team, which then took him to Atlanta for the 1996 Olympic Games.
Hall claimed two silver medals, before his type 1 diagnosis forced him into training and management changes. Through regular blood glucose testing and despite enduring crippling fatigue, Hall was able to complete swim practices and gradually increased the length of his work-outs.
Hall eventually worked out for up to eight hours a day, getting out of the water to check his blood glucose levels every 45 minutes.
Hall’s doctors had told him he would never swim again competitively, but in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, he was crowned the fastest swimmer in the world.
He broke his own record in 2004, and by the time he retired from competitive swimming in 2008, he had won 10 Olympic medals, including five gold.
Diabetes research
Hall is a member of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JRDF) and travels across the United States to speak at diabetes fund-raisers and advocate new therapies being researched.
He has also testified in front of congress to highlight the need for greater resources in preventing and treating diabetes.
In 2012, Hall was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.
