Kim Gallagher was born near Philadelphia and started track when she accompanied her brother, Bart, to his track club. By the time she was 16, she had set the US high school record in the 800, and finished 8th in the 1980 Olympic Trials over 800 metres. Gallagher briefly attended the University of Arizona but left because she was unable to attend school and train at a world-class level. In 1984, in addition to her Olympic silver medal, she was U.S. champion at both 800 and 1,500 metres. She was dogged by illnesses throughout her life, contracting colon cancer shortly after her 1988 Olympic bronze medal effort. She initially refused doctor’s recommendations of chemotherapy and treated her cancer with vitamins, diet and rest, which was initially effective, but cancer recurred in 1994. Confined to a wheelchair in her last year, still in her 30s, she died from a stroke.
Personal Bests: 200 – 24.45 (1985); 400 – 52.44 (1985); 800 – 1:56.91 (1988); 1500 - 4:03.29 (1988); Mile – 4:36.94 (1982); 3000 – 9:19.67 (1981); 5000 – 16:34.7 (1979).
United States