US Athlete Disqualified and Sent to Prison, Now Facing Difficulty Walking

An American sprinter who was stripped of her Olympic gold medals and served time in prison now says she struggles to walk. Marion Jones shined at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, winning three golds and two bronzes, becoming the first woman to earn five medals at a single Games. Her medals came from the 100m, 200m, and 4x400m relay, with bronze medals in the long jump and 4x100m relay.

However, she was later stripped of all medals after admitting to using performance-enhancing drugs. In 2008, Jones confessed she had used banned substances, saying, “I have no-one to blame but myself.” She was sentenced to six months in prison, two years of supervised release, and 800 hours of community service for lying to investigators about doping.

Since her release, Jones has faced health issues. In 2020, she was diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica, an auto-immune disease that temporarily left her paralyzed and unable to walk. Recently, she shared a video on Instagram struggling to descend stairs, saying, “They are hanging on by a thread, fam… but we’re still standing.” The post received over 300,000 likes.

Last year, Jones told ABC News she’s focused on supporting others. She hopes her journey shows that failure isn’t forever, and now coaches and mentors entrepreneurs, passionate about helping others overcome setbacks.