Personal Life
Lewis’ mother Evelyn was an Olympian who competed at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki in the 80 m hurdles. Carl's sister Carol Lewis was also an Olympian, finishing 9th in the long jump at the 1984 Olympics, and earning a bronze medal in the same event at the 1983 World Championships. She additionally set two American records in the long jump in 1985. She has been a television broadcast announcer for a number of years.
Lewis is vegan. Lewis credits his outstanding 1991 results in part to the vegan diet he adopted in 1990, aged thirty. He has claimed it is better suited to him because he can eat a larger quantity without affecting his athleticism and he believes that switching to a vegan diet can lead to improved athletic performance.
In 2007, Lewis became an official supporter of Ronald McDonald House Charities and is a member of their celebrity board, called the Friends of RMHC.
On October 16, 2009, Lewis was nominated a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
Since 1993, Lewis has suffered from arthritis.
2008 Formula One driver's champion Lewis Carl Hamilton, born a few months after Carl Lewis's success in 1984 Olympics, was named after him.
In 2011, he appeared as a guest on the ESPN television show College GameDay when it was broadcast live from his alma mater, the University of Houston.
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