After all the excitement of the 2020 Olympics, we thought there’d be no better time for us to explore which current and past Olympic athletes have dyslexia. Join us in discovering these dyslexic Olympians where we celebrate their incredible achievements and accomplishments.
1. Jillian Gallaways
Diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age, Jillian Gallaways is a Canadian freestyle wrestler and competed in the 2016 Olympics. You can learn more about Jillian Gallays here.
2. Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali won a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Rome. According to Understood.org, Muhammad Ali struggled with dyslexia and reading his high school textbooks. Muhammad Ali’s daughter, Miya Ali, has also been diagnosed with dyslexia and is a successful self-advocate for the learning disability. Learn more about Miya Ali by watching the video below.
3. Caitlyn Jenner
Caitlyn Jenner is a retired Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete who won the men's decathlon event at the Summer Olympics in Montreal in 1976. In an essay for Women's Health magazine, Jenner said that “It was my dyslexia and gender issues that made me an Olympic champion. I channelled my struggles to drive and push myself. Now, I see those issues as my gift. I needed sports more to prove to myself that I could be good at something, and I worked a little harder than I think I would have if I hadn't been struggling.”
4. Greg Louganis
Former professional diver Greg Louganis is a five-time Olympic medalist who was diagnosed with dyslexia in college. He once told Ability Magazine, "I remember I was actually given 'dyslexia' as a vocabulary word in my freshman English class, and that was when I realized I wasn't all of the things the other students had been calling me: 'stupid,' 'retard,' 'moron.' I wasn't those things. I was dyslexic." He added "...Ultimately you learn coping skills. I wasn't so severely dyslexic that I couldn't get through my day, it was just a hurdle in terms of the fact that it made reading and writing much more laborious for me".
5. Meryl Davis
Meryl Davis is a former American ice dancer who, along with her partner, was a 2014 Olympic champion, a 2010 Olympic silver medalist, and a bronze medalist at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Meryl Davis was diagnosed with dyslexia in grade 3. In an interview with The Yale Centre for Dyslexia and Creativity, Meryl said “It [dyslexia] never goes away, but it is more of a positive than not…. Patience with oneself is the key to learning how to be your best self in any case. Just because things come differently to you doesn’t make you any less. You have to rely on the people who are there for you. I have come out the other side.”
6. Steve Redgrave
Steve Redgrave is a British retired rower who won gold medals at five consecutive Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000! Steve Redgrave was diagnosed with dyslexia early on after experiencing struggles and difficulties at school. He said "Everyone is different and everyone's dyslexia is different. For me, I would always rather be in a boat but I was lucky to be pretty good in a boat."
7. Duncan Goodhew
Duncan Goodhew was a British Olympic swimmer who won Olympic gold and bronze medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow and he also swam at the 1976 Summer Olympics. He was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 13.
Sourced from Express.co.uk: He recalls that on the day he was told he had dyslexia he also had to swim a medley in the pool. His PE teacher’s assessment was unequivocal. “He will swim for his school, his county, his district, his country and he will probably go beyond that too.” It was this belief in him that made Duncan determined to reach the top. As a child who found living with both dyslexia and hair loss “corrosive to the self-esteem”, swimming changed his life. “It’s extraordinary how negatives can help crystallize what you really want to do.”
8. Molly Sullivan Sliney
Molly Sullivan Sliney is a former fencer who was a member of the 1988 and 1992 United States Olympic fencing teams. Molly Sliney struggled throughout elementary school with dyslexia. She returned to her old training grounds at the Center School gym on the opening day of the 2018 Winter Olympics and said "In my life, I have had a lot of accomplishments...In fact, at one point I held every national title, and at one point I actually was in the Guinness Book of World Records. When people ask me what my biggest accomplishment is, it has nothing to do with a title, it has nothing to do with a trophy, it has nothing to do with a label. My biggest accomplishment is the story I just shared with you guys."
9. Michelle Carter
Michelle Carter is a 2016 Olympic gold medalist who has ADHD and dyslexia. You can hear all about Michelle’s journey with dyslexia by watching the video below.
10. Stuart Bruce
Stuart Bruce is one of Dyslexia Canada’s Board of Directors and was a member of the Canadian Olympic Sailing Team for the 1992 games in Barcelona!
Do you know any dyslexic Olympians who we’ve not mentioned on our list? Tweet us to let us know.