Suzy Favor-Hamilton
Encyclopedia
Suzy Favor-Hamilton is a former American professional middle distance runner.
to Conrad and Rachel Favor. She began running at age nine, and then attended and competed at Stevens Point Area Senior High
, graduating in 1986. She attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison
, receiving a bachelor of science
degree in graphic arts in 1991. While a freshman there, she met Mark Hamilton, then a pitcher on the University baseball team. The two married a week after she graduated. Residing in New Glarus, Wisconsin
, Favor-Hamilton was coached by Peter Tegen.
, Favor won nine NCAA individual titles which, while now tied by Sally Kipyego
, still stands as the most in NCAA history. Favor's other collegiate accomplishments include:
, Hamilton was featured in a Nike TV commercial. It portrayed her living in a big house near a forest on a dark, creepy night when a chainsaw-wielding masked killer appears behind her and attempts to kill her, reminiscent of classic horror films. She manages to outrun him thanks to her Nike sneakers, and the ad closes with the message, "Why sport? You'll live longer." NBC
aired it for only a short period of time when protestors called demanding that the ad be pulled off. Most protestors argued that it made light of violence against women, while others claimed it was just too scary to watch, especially for children. Nike spokespeople retorted it was meant to be humorous, and Hamilton herself stated the ad was inspirational, since it is the woman who defeats the man.
Biography
Suzy Favor-Hamilton was born in Stevens Point, WisconsinWisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
to Conrad and Rachel Favor. She began running at age nine, and then attended and competed at Stevens Point Area Senior High
Stevens Point Area Senior High
Stevens Point Area Senior High is a high school located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the Stevens Point Area School District. SPASH is the second largest high school in the state of Wisconsin by population served...
, graduating in 1986. She attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, receiving a bachelor of science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in graphic arts in 1991. While a freshman there, she met Mark Hamilton, then a pitcher on the University baseball team. The two married a week after she graduated. Residing in New Glarus, Wisconsin
New Glarus, Wisconsin
New Glarus is a village in Green County, Wisconsin, United States at the intersection of Wisconsin Highways 69 and 39. It has a population of 2,304 according to the 2010 census. Since 2000 it has had a population growth of 9.09 percent. The village, as well as the town that surrounds it, was named...
, Favor-Hamilton was coached by Peter Tegen.
High school competition
- U.S. Junior record in the 1500 mMiddle distance track eventMiddle distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle distance event. The 880 yard run, or half mile, was the forebear to the...
- Three times held the U.S. Junior title in the 1500 m
- Twice the Pan American Juniors gold medalist (1984, 1986)
- Won 11 state high school titles
- Named one of the 100 High School Athletes of the Century by Scholastic Sports Magazine
Collegiate
At the University of Wisconsin–MadisonUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, Favor won nine NCAA individual titles which, while now tied by Sally Kipyego
Sally Kipyego
Sally Kipyego is a runner who competed as part of the Texas Tech Red Raiders cross country and track and field teams...
, still stands as the most in NCAA history. Favor's other collegiate accomplishments include:
- NCAA Championships record holder in the 800 m and 1500 m
- Two NCAA Cross-Country Championships runner-up awards
- NCAA Top Six Award
- NCAA Woman of the Year
- 23 Big Ten ConferenceBig Ten ConferenceThe Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
championships - Four Big Ten Athlete of the Year Awards, which is now called the "Suzy Favor Award"
- Big Ten Athlete of the Decade for the 1990s
- World University GamesUniversiadeThe Universiade is an International multi-sport event, organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation . The name is a combination of the words "University" and "olympiad"...
silver medalist - Jumbo Elliot Award
- Honda-Broderick CupHonda-Broderick CupThe Honda-Broderick Cup is a sports award for college-level female athletes. The awards are voted on by a national panel of more than 1000 collegiate athletic directors. It was first presented by the late Thomas Broderick, owner of a sports apparel company, in 1977, with the first award going to...
Award - Babe ZahariasBabe ZahariasMildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias was an American athlete who achieved outstanding success in golf, basketball, and track and field...
Award - 14 All-American awards
Professional
After graduating, Favor-Hamilton competed extensively, with the following results:- Competed three times for the U.S. in the Olympic GamesOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, 19921992 Summer OlympicsThe 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
, 19961996 Summer OlympicsThe 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
and 20002000 Summer OlympicsThe Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia... - Competed seven times in the U.S. National Championships
- Held the U.S. record for the 1000 mMiddle distance track eventMiddle distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle distance event. The 880 yard run, or half mile, was the forebear to the...
- Held the U.S. indoor record for the 800 mMiddle distance track eventMiddle distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle distance event. The 880 yard run, or half mile, was the forebear to the...
- Won the bronze medal at the 1998 Goodwill GamesGoodwill GamesThe Goodwill Games was an international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s...
- Finished 5th at the 2002 World Cross-Country ChampionshipsIAAF World Cross Country ChampionshipsIAAF World Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Held annually and organised by International Association of Athletics Federations , it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the International Cross Country Championships...
(short course), the best-ever finish by a U.S. woman - Five sub-four minute 1500 m, which are five of the nine fastest times ever run by an American
- Only U.S. woman to have the fastest seasonal 1500 m time in the world. In 2000, she was ranked number one in the world based on time, at 3:57.40.
- Named USA Track and Field Distance Runner of the Year, 2000
- Ranked number one in the U.S. in 1989, 1990, 2000, 2001 and 2002
Exposure
Includes:- Featured in national ads for NikeNike, Inc.Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
, ReebokReebokReebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
, Pert Plus Shampoo, Nordic Track, ClairolClairolClairol is a personal care products division of Procter & Gamble. The Clairol company was started in 1931 by Lawrence M. Gelb and wife, Joan, who named their enterprise after a hair-coloring preparation they found while traveling in France....
, OakleyOakley, Inc.Oakley, Inc., based in Foothill Ranch, California, makes sport equipment including sunglasses, sports visors, and ski goggles, as well as watches, clothing, bags, backpacks, shoes, prescription glasses, football and hockey eyewear, Golf gear and other accessories...
and KikkomanKikkomanis an international company based in Japan.Founded in 1917, it is based in Noda, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is a combination of 8 family-owned businesses founded as early as 1603 by the Mogi and Takanashi families....
Foods - Featured in the magazines VogueVogue (magazine)Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
, CosmopolitanCosmopolitan (magazine)Cosmopolitan is an international magazine for women. It was first published in 1886 in the United States as a family magazine, was later transformed into a literary magazine and eventually became a women's magazine in the late 1960s...
, Rolling StoneRolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, Runner's WorldRunner's WorldRunner's World is a globally circulated monthly magazine for runners of all skills sets, published by Rodale Press in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
, Harper's BazaarHarper's BazaarHarper’s Bazaar is an American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”...
, Men's JournalMen's JournalMen's Journal is an American men's lifestyle magazine focused on outdoor recreation and comprising editorials on the outdoors, environmental issues, health and fitness, style and fashion, and "gear". It is owned by Jann Wenner of Wenner Media....
, Sports IllustratedSports IllustratedSports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
, Sports Illustrated for KidsSports Illustrated for KidsSports Illustrated Kids is a monthly spin-off of the weekly U.S. sports magazine Sports Illustrated. SI Kids was launched in January 1989 and includes sports coverage with less vocabulary and emphasis on humor...
, Track & Field NewsTrack & Field NewsTrack & Field News is a magazine founded in 1948 by brothers Bert Nelson & Cordner Nelson, focused on the world of track and field.The magazine provides coverage of athletics in the U.S.A. from the high school to national level as well as covering the sport on an international bases. The magazine...
, Women's Sports & Fitness, Running Times - Appeared in the 1997 Suzy Hamilton Swimsuit Calendar
- In 2004, Suzy wrote the book Fast Track: Training and Nutrition Secrets from America's Top Female Runner with Dr. Jose Antonio.
Commercial controversy
During the 2000 Summer Olympics2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, Hamilton was featured in a Nike TV commercial. It portrayed her living in a big house near a forest on a dark, creepy night when a chainsaw-wielding masked killer appears behind her and attempts to kill her, reminiscent of classic horror films. She manages to outrun him thanks to her Nike sneakers, and the ad closes with the message, "Why sport? You'll live longer." NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
aired it for only a short period of time when protestors called demanding that the ad be pulled off. Most protestors argued that it made light of violence against women, while others claimed it was just too scary to watch, especially for children. Nike spokespeople retorted it was meant to be humorous, and Hamilton herself stated the ad was inspirational, since it is the woman who defeats the man.
Sources and references
- Favor-Hamilton, Suzy and Antonio, Jose: Fast Track: Training and Nutrition Secrets from America's Top Female Runner, Rodale Books, 2004. ISBN 1-59486-013-0
External links
- Suzy Favor Hamilton website
- "Suzy Favor Hamilton's Main Event" A Profile from Madison Magazine
- 'Horror' Nike Ad Campaign 2000 The controversial ad