Lashinda Demus's Olympic journey from heartbreak to redemption

CULVER CITY, Calif. (KABC) -- Track and field star Lashinda Demus has been coaching student-athletes at Culver City High for the past seven years.

"I'm having a lot of fun helping other kids reach whatever goals they have athletically or just in life goals," said Demus.

"Lashinda has so much knowledge and so much passion and so much love for the sport of track and field," said boys track and field coach Jahmal Wright.

But despite her passion for the sport, coaching wasn't always a part of her plan.

The 41-year-old reflected back when she took home silver in the 2012 London Olympic Games, a memory that has been bittersweet for the past 12 years.

"That loss was so hard for me that I kind of had to put that to bed in order for me to move forward with my life," Demus said.

Demus was 29 years old at the time and said the 400-meter hurdles was the last Olympic race she ever ran.

"I raced against the Russian Natalya Antyukh, who won by .07 seconds," Demus said.

But little did she know, she was robbed of the gold medal that day.

"People that were watching, they saw everything I had. And now it comes to find out that it was a doping charge," Demus said.

Demus said she didn't find out about the doping charge until last year. She immediately contacted a lawyer and now 12 years later, she will finally receive her long-overdue gold medal at a reallocation ceremony at the Paris Olympic Games on Aug. 9.

"I get to take all of my boys to the Olympic Games because my younger sons have no clue of what I've done," Demus said.

Demus said this achievement is more than a medal, it's a reflection of her dedication and hard work as an athlete and also a reminder that integrity in sports must be upheld.

"I appreciate that they're trying to run the sport with integrity and justice was served," Demus said.

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