Doctors dismissed my health concerns and said I was training too hard. No one knew I was competing in the Olympics without being able to see the hurdles.

• Gail Devers is a five-time Olympian and three-time gold medalist in track.
• She dropped to 79 pounds due to Graves' disease between the 1988 and 1992 Olympics.
• She won gold in '92 but was losing her eyesight because of a related condition.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Gail Devers. It has been edited for length and clarity.