Former Olympic gold medalist Marion Jones -- once hailed as the fastest woman in the world -- broke the hearts of millions in 2007 when she admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs. The track-and-field star was stripped of her medals and sent to federal prison in 2008 for lying to investigators about using steroids. Just weeks after her release, Jones appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to talk about the doping scandal and her time in prison.
Yet, even five years later, Jones says that not everyone believes she was sincere and truthful in her 2008 conversation with Oprah. In this clip from "Oprah: Where Are They Now?" Jones says, "I would just tell them, 'It's time to move on.' You're never going to convince everybody that you're telling the truth.'"
Instead, Jones says, she has focused on sharing her story to help prevent people -- particularly young people -- from heading down the wrong path. "I just thought, 'What do I wish I would have done when I saw some of these red flags in my past?'," Jones says she asked herself. "I wish I would have taken a break. I wish I would have taken a step back. That's the message that I share now."
Sharing this message has proved extremely fulfilling to Jones. She says, "Being able to speak to young people and share my experiences, it almost makes it all worth it."
Of course, Jones isn't the most recent athlete to confess to using performance-enhancing drugs. Lance Armstrong's doping confession rocked the cycling world and made headlines both inside and outside the sport. In the clip, Jones comments on Armstrong's experience and shares her advice for athletes who have to publicly admit their wrongdoing.
"It's first important to confront the people whom you know you hurt," she says. "Secondly, you have to begin the long, long road of forgiving yourself. Although now you might not be able to see any good in your life, I think I'm a testament that if you surround yourself with people who love you and care for you, that there's light at the end of the tunnel."
"Oprah's Where Are They Now?" airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on OWN.
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