UAt one time she was the fastest woman in the world. Today, at fifty years old, Marion Jones faces an entirely different challenge: living with neuromyelitis opticaa rare autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system. The former US champion, absolute protagonist of athletics in the early 2000s, has returned to be seen on social media with a video that has struck many of her fans, where she shows herself as he descends the stairs of the house with great difficultya clear sign of the physical difficulties he has to live with.
Marion Jones struggles to go down the stairs: “My knees are hanging by a thread”
In the post published on InstagramMarion Jones wanted to talk about her condition with honesty and a hint of irony: «They always ask me: “Are you Marion Jones, once the fastest woman in the world?”. But never: “How are your knees?”. My knees are hanging by a thread, folks. But we are still standing».
The former champion explained that she was receiving infusions every two weeks to keep the disease under control, which she was diagnosed with in 2020 after a period of temporary paralysis. «Just a couple of years ago I couldn’t walk. I had to learn to move again, and today I can say that every step is a victory.” he had explained in 2024 in an interview with Fox 32 Chicago.
The career of Marion Jones: from the glory of Sydney to the doping scandal
Marion Jones had become a global athletics icon Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, where he won five medals (three gold and two bronze). But in 2007 confessed to having hired him anabolic steroid The Clearprovided by the BALCO laboratoryand that he lied to federal investigators.
The International Olympic Committee revoked her medals, while the IAAF, the International Athletics Federation, deleted all her results from September 2000. The former sprinter has also spent six months in prison for perjury, before attempting a return to normality between professional basketball and coaching activities for athletes.
What is neuromyelitis optica
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIH), the neuromyelitis optica (also known as Devic’s disease) is one rare autoimmune disease that attacks the spinal cord and optic nervescausing inflammation, vision loss, and muscle weakness. There is no definitive cure, but immunosuppressive therapies can reduce symptoms and prevent relapses.
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