Danica Patrick pens heartfelt note on 'finally' meeting physician boasting a million IG followers

Former IndyCar and NASCAR driver Danica Patrick shared a heartfelt Instagram post on Monday, April 28, after finally meeting her longtime physician, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, in person. Patrick and Lyon met at The Forever Strong Summit 2025, held in Houston, Texas, on Sunday.

In her post, Patrick praised Lyon’s skills as a doctor and her compassion as a person. Lyon, who has over a million Instagram followers, is a board-certified physician and a New York Times best-selling author. Patrick wrote that Lyon had been her doctor for almost two years and had also become a very good friend. However, despite working together for a long time, they had never met face-to-face until the summit.

Dr. Gabrielle Lyon specializes in family medicine, nutritional sciences, and geriatrics. She became widely known after publishing her book Forever Strong: A New, Science-Based Strategy for Aging Well in October 2023. Her work focuses on helping people improve their health, strength, and longevity.

The Forever Strong Summit 2025 gathered top experts in medicine, muscle health, mindset, and performance. It was aimed at high performers, professionals, and leaders looking for the best strategies to improve their health and extend their lifespan. Patrick shared a series of photos with Dr. Lyon from the summit and captioned the post, saying:

"Finally. We meet. 💕 After being my doctor for almost 2 years and even more so becoming a very good friend…. We finally got to hang out in person! @drgabriellelyon is a very special human being with big gifts and uses them for good because she cares deeply about people. And making us all healthier."

When Danica Patrick broke down on live TV after a historic IndyCar milestone

Before Danica Patrick made a name for herself off the racetrack, she made history behind the wheel of an IndyCar. In 2008, Patrick became the first and only female driver to win an IndyCar race. Her breakthrough came at the Indy Japan 300, where she crossed the finish line first after years of hard work, setbacks in a male-dominated sport.

Starting from sixth on the grid, Danica Patrick stayed consistent throughout the race. She kept herself in the top 10 and remained focused. As the race entered its final stages, several drivers had to make late pit stops. Patrick, however, had already pitted earlier on Lap 148. With just two laps to go, she saw her chance, passed Helio Castroneves, and held the lead to the finish.

When she climbed out of her car in victory lane, Patrick broke down in tears during the live broadcast. Overcome with emotion, she said:

"I feel like a wuss crying, but it’s a long-time coming, finally!" (6:40 onwards)

Talking about her race strategy, Patrick explained:

"You're taking it easy, taking care of the car. I did feel like, at the end, it was fast and that I was managing to save fuel while still keeping the speed up. I heard from Kyle (Moyer, her crew chief) that all I need to do is beat Helio, so when I saw him, I knew I had been saving a little extra throughout the stint, and then I knew he was the one to beat. I didn't want to make the mistake of not pushing really hard to get by him."