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. "Asthma requires a little extra maintenance," says Hyman, "but most people with asthma can be really successful -- in athletics and in life."

Click to listen to Consumer Health Interactive's in-depth audio report (5:38 min). If you'd like to read the audio script, click here.

Digital Audio Team

(If you don't hear anything, try turning up the volume of your computer speakers. If you don't notice anything loading at all, you probably need to download and install the free Flash Player. Click on one of the buttons to get the free software from Macromedia Inc.)

or

(A larger program that includes the Flash Player.)

Last updated October 8, 2008
Copyright © 2003 Consumer Health Interactive