LAPS AROUND THE STEPS –
July 12, 2024 – Carrie Bates won three Olympic gold medals in the pool at the 1984 Los Angeles games. At the time, she was just 16 years old. She didn’t even have her license yet, but Carrie was on top of the world. However, things turned very quickly. “The first time I remember drinking for the sole reason of not feeling was after the 1988 Olympic Trials when I didn’t make that team.” Just four years after standing on top of the podium three different times, Bates was standing on the sidelines. She failed to qualify for the U.S. team in 1988, which sent her spiraling. Carrie turned to alcohol, hoping it would fix her disappointment. It didn’t. Instead, she continued to drink well into her adult life. Even with a husband and two daughters, Bates continued her alcoholic pattern.
“Inside, I was dying,” she said.
In 2012, alcohol was putting too much strain on her relationship with her daughters. Bates finally recognized her problem and wanted to fix it. So, she went to rehab four different times.
