That has likely changed after she confessed to working as a $600 per hour call girl for the past year, citing depression and a troubled marriage as the causes for the indiscretion.
Favor Hamilton had clients around the country, from Las Vegas to Chicago.
On Friday, a Chicago acquaintance described the Favor Hamilton he knew more than 20 years ago.
"She stuck close to her roots. She didn't leave to go to California or Colorado to train. She trained in Madison, Wisconsin, so a lot of people rooted for her," said Bob Geiger, coach of the girls track and cross country team at Whitney Young High School.
Geiger said he knew Favor Hamilton through NCAA meets, where she competed two decades ago.
"She had postpartum depression and other forms of depression and it ran in her family. Her brother committed suicide and she always managed to put up this facade that she was a very happy individual," said Geiger.
According to the Associated Press, Favor Hamilton called prostitution an "escape" that was really a way of masking an American Dream coming unhinged.
She spoke to women runners before a Fleet Feet Sports race several years ago.
"She was an excellent ambassador for the running community," Mark Colpoys of Fleet Feet Sports said. "At the end of the race, she wanted to be position there, so she could congratulate every single woman."
Corri Fetman, a family attorney, says many high achievers fall from grace by committing sexual transgressions. Fetman said she isn't surprised at the choices that Favor Hamilton made.
"She created this other person, she goes out, she's engaging in prostitution. She's in control of these men... To me it's fairly typical of abuse and trauma," said Fetman.
"Everyone in their life has demons they have to live with. If you can't deal with someone who is trying to overcome their demons, then why are we here as human beings?" said Geiger.
Spokesmen for the University of Madison School of Education, the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association, Foot Locker and the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series all said they were reconsidering Favor Hamilton's promotional work for their groups.
Favor Hamilton is a three-time outdoor 1,500-meter national champion and a three-time indoor national champion.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
