At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, sportscasters believed that swimmer Misty Hyman had a slim chance of winning even a bronze medal. But the Arizona native stunned the world when she defeated Olympic champion Susie O'Neill in the 200-meter butterfly. Few people knew then that Hyman probably would not have been standing on the podium receiving a gold medal if she didn't have asthma.

Hyman has had the chronic lung disease since she was five. As a little girl, she frequently had such difficulty breathing that she needed to use a respirator, and doctors recommended that she swim to ease her symptoms. Her asthma improved -- and so did her swimming. In high school Hyman set new national records in the sport, and while studying international relations at Stanford University, she became one of the best swimmers in the school's history. She now trains six hours a day to prepare for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, where she will defend her title. "Asthma requires a little extra maintenance," says Hyman, "but most people with asthma can be really successful -- in athletics and in life."

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First published April 30, 2003
Last updated October 8, 2008
Copyright © 2003 Consumer Health Interactive