Former U.S. Olympian That Doubled as an Escort Now Advocates for Mental Illness

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Summary: An escort with one of the nation’s premier escort companies, Haley Heston’s, former U.S. Olympian Suzy Favor Hamilton, found new direction through her experience.

Three-time U.S. Olympian Suzy Favor Hamilton spent a year roughly six years ago doubling as an escort girl, a role which she calls a “huge mistake.” Favor Hamilton, 48, had a top running career which included a swimsuit calendar, a Nike TV commercial and ongoing promotional work with Disney.

  

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Favor Hamilton started her secret life one December working the Las Vegas strip with one of the premier escort services, Haley Heston’s Private Collection, for $600-an-hour. She even booked numerous “dates” in the Sin City as well as other U.S. cities like Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles.

Known as “Kelly Lundy” in the escort world, Favor Hamilton did admit her true identity to a few male clients, assuming her secret would be safe with strangers. Favor Hamilton is married to her high school sweetheart, who happens to be a lawyer, and is the mother to a teenage girl.

When approached by a reporter for The Smoking Gun in 2011, Favor Hamilton admitted her work as “Kelly.” She said, “I take full responsibility for my mistakes. I’m not the victim and I’m not going that route. I’m owning up to what I did. I would not blame anybody except myself. Everybody in this world makes mistakes. I made a huge mistake. Huge.”

Favor Hamilton described the escort work as “exciting” midlife diversion from her regular routine. Back in Madison, Wisconsin, Favor Hamilton runs a real estate brokerage with her husband, gives motivational speeches, and provides promotional work for several businesses including Disney and the Potato & Vegetable Growers Association of Wisconsin.

Her husband was aware of her work as an escort but did not support it. He had tried to get her to stop but she wouldn’t listen to him. During the height of her running career, Favor Hamilton had been a star. Even though she never medaled at the Olympics in 1992, 1996 or 2000, her collegiate career concreted her name into history.

Her career with the University of Wisconsin made her the most decorated female athlete in NCAA track and field history. The Big Ten Conference’s female athlete of the year award has even been named after her. She has won multiple national championships, All-American awards, and NCAA titles. She also appeared in ads for Reebok, Oakley, Clairol, Pert Plus, and Nike.

Favor Hamilton noted that she was already planning to give up the lifestyle before the story of her true identity leaked. She was in process of contacting clients to inform them that she was quitting the business so that they wouldn’t try to contact her again. Now Favor Hamilton is an advocate for mental health illness, which she claims is the reason she entered into prostitution in the first place. She claims her decision to become an escort was made under the influence of an antidepressant medication, which she was misdiagnosed for. Favor Hamilton sought counseling after her call girl lifestyle and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Favor Hamilton lost most of her sponsorships once the story of her secret life went public. The Big Ten award named after her was also renamed. She now travels the country speaking at mental health conferences and wrote a memoir on her experiences.

Do you think other people in the prostitution industry may be under similar medical situations like Favor Hamilton where they are misdiagnosed and so their medication influences rational thought? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

To learn more about escort’s, read these articles:

• Gay Porn Star/Escort Convicted of Extorting Wealthy Client
• America’s Top Model Winner Denied Crown for Being Escort
• The Daily Mail Hit with $150M Lawsuit for Suggesting Melania Trump Was an Escort

Photo: usatoday.com