From Polio Survivor to Olympic Champion: Wilma Rudolph story

 Wilma Rudolph

Wilma Rudolph was born on June 23, 1940, in Saint Bethlehem, Clarksville, Tennessee. Her childhood was far from easy, as she battled Polio, double Pneumonia, and scarlet fever, Rudolph faced significant challenges with her left leg and had to wear a brace. However, her goal was to overcome her disabilities with the help of physical therapy. "The doctors told me I would never walk again," Rudolph said. However, her mother believed she would.

Her gift is running

 

Growing up in the South, during segregation, Rudolph played basketball in high school but discovered her gift for running. She attended Tennessee State University, where Coach Ed Temple recruited her for track and field. Nicknamed "Skeeter" for her speed, Rudolph qualified for the 1956 Summer Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia. At just 16, she was the youngest member of the U.S. track and field team and won a bronze medal in the 400-meter relay. After graduating high school, she enrolled at Tennessee State University to study education, while training hard for the next Olympics. In the 1960 Olympic Games, Rudolph tied the world record in the 100-meter semifinals with a time of 11.3 seconds and went on to win the event with a wind-aided mark of 11.0 seconds in the final. She also broke the Olympic record in the 200-meter dash (23.2 seconds) during the heat and claimed another gold medal with a time of 24.0 seconds in the final. Additionally, Rudolph was part of the U.S. team that set the world record in the 400-meter relay (44.4 seconds) before winning the gold with a time of 44. 5 seconds. As a result, she became the first African American woman to win three gold medals in track and field at a single Olympic Games. 

Wilma's retirement 

The first-class sprinter instantly became one of the most popular athletes of the Rome games and an international superstar, celebrated worldwide for her groundbreaking achievements. Rudolph made numerous television appearances and received several honors, including the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year award in 1960 and 1961. She retired from competing not long after and went on to teach, coach, and run a community center among other endeavors. Though her accomplishments on the Olympic track remained her best known, Rudolph shared her story in her 1977 autobiography, "Wilma," which was later turned into a TV film that same year. in the 1980s, she was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame and established the Wilma Rudolph Foundation to promote amateur athletics. 

Wilma Rudolph passed away on November 12, 1994, in Brentwood, Tennessee, after losing a battle with brain cancer. In 2004, the United States Postal Service honored the Olympic champion by featuring her likeness on a 23-cent stamp. One of her most memorable quotes: "Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. Nobody goes undefeated all the time. If you can pick up after a crushing defeat and go on to win again, you are going to be champion someday."