Over the course of their strenuous careers, athletes are willing to push their bodies to the most extreme levels to perform unbelievable feats of strength, speed, and endurance. Unfortunately, though, some of these men and women attempt to reach perfection through the use of performance enhancing drugs like human growth hormone (HGH) or anabolic steroids. As a result, they will undergo severe physical and psychological changes that can permanently damage their bodies and spirits. However, have you ever heard of a situation where an athlete was fed anabolic steroids and she didn’t even know this was happening? This is one aspect of the grim reality for former Olympian athlete Heidi Krieger, whose PED use eventually transformed her into a man (as shocking as that sounds). Let’s take a closer look at her story and find out more.
From the Top to the Bottom
Back in the 1980s, Heidi Krieger was one of the top athletes in the world, winning multiple Olympic medals for her native Germany in the shot put event. In fact, in 1986, the powerhouse lady was the #1 women’s shot put champion for her country. However, at one point, her life took a devastating turn. During one point in her career, Krieger’s coaches began feeding her supposed vitamin supplements, which turned out (in a horrifying twist) to be Oral-Turinabol anabolic steroids. After being fed a string of these performance-enhancing drugs, Krieger began to feel dangerous emotional and physical changes.
As a result of steroid use, Krieger’s body and feelings drastically changed. Throughout her life, Krieger has never been a lesbian or ever had a sexual attraction to women. However, the introduction of male hormones made her feel like a man and feel strange attractions for the same sex.
Eventually, Heidi Krieger underwent sex reassignment surgery to become Andreas Krieger.
Problem with Steroids
Disturbingly, Heidi was one of 10,000 East German athletes victimized by coaches and trainers who sought to pump up these individuals to provide a good name for their country. From the 1970s to the 1980s, the German Democratic Republic was a powerhouse in the Olympic Games. However, once the Soviet Union fell, the news about steroid programs emerged into the spotlight. In fact, Manfred Ewald (head of East Germany’s National Olympic Committee, 1973-1990) and other leaders were convicted of supporting this dangerous program.
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