American track legend Gail Devers has long been recognized not only for her remarkable speed and competitive spirit but also for her signature long, curving fingernails. 

Recently, she opened up about the story behind her unique nails and the difficult health journey that made them an important symbol of her resilience. In a revealing interview on the Ready Set Go podcast with Justin Gatlin and Rodney Green, Devers shared how Graves’ disease not only impacted her physically but also led her to embrace her long nails as a reassuring ritual.

In 1988, Devers was a standout athlete at UCLA, having just shattered the American record for the hurdles. With her speed and skill, she was widely considered a favorite for the gold at the Seoul Olympics.

 However, as her training intensified, Devers began to feel unwell, experiencing symptoms from fatigue to hair loss, and eventually frequent injuries. Reflecting on this time, Devers described how her initial signs of illness raised concern. 

she recalled. Devers’ health worsened, with brittle nails, weight loss, and eventually sores that wouldn’t heal. For two years, she endured a series of misdiagnoses before finally receiving an answer: Graves’ disease.

The diagnosis provided Devers with the hope she needed to make a comeback. Eighteen months after beginning treatment, she qualified for the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, still dealing with some symptoms.

 Despite bulging eyes, eye pain, and cloudy vision, Devers remained undeterred, capturing gold in the 100 meters—her first of two back-to-back Olympic wins in the event.

In her podcast interview, Devers also shared how her long nails became a fixture during her career, beginning with her father’s early attempts to help her stop biting them. 

As a child, Devers’ father, a minister, tried everything from hot sauce to friendly competitions to break her habit. Laughing, Devers said, “Nothing worked, including hot sauce. In fact, it was flavor added.” 

Eventually, her competitive spirit was sparked when her father challenged her to grow her nails longer than his. Devers accepted, saying, “I’m not going to let this man beat me.” Her mother, known for her own long nails, advised her to keep them clean and they would be fine, which Devers embraced as part of her self-care.

During the years she spent recovering and regaining her strength, Devers let her nails grow as a way to focus on self-care and affirm her healing process.

“The reason they got to be curlified is because for that two or three years it took me to get back on the track, I let my nails grow three years at a time, taking care of them because the longer it took me to polish them, the longer it took them to dry and it was a sign for me that I was okay. So I let them grow’.

Her return to form was marked by major wins. Devers won silver in the 100m hurdles at the 1991 World Championships, and at the 1992 Olympics, she outpaced Jamaican runner Juliet Cuthbert to secure her first Olympic gold in the 100m. 

Devers continued to dominate the track, winning both the 100m and 100m hurdles at the 1993 World Championships, then defending her title in the hurdles in 1995.

 In Atlanta in 1996, she became the first woman since Wyomia Tyus to defend an Olympic 100m title, securing her legacy as a two-time Olympic champion.

Devers competed in five Olympic Games, with highlights including another gold in the 4x100m relay and a hurdles victory at the 1999 World Championships. 

Despite ongoing health challenges, Devers continued to compete at an elite level, even winning the 60m hurdles at the Millrose Games in 2007 before hanging up her spikes after nearly two decades at the top of her sport.

 Her journey is a powerful reminder of resilience, both in overcoming her health battle and finding strength in the routines—like her iconic nail care—that helped her persevere.