Wilma Rudolph

Wilma Rudolph was born June 23, 1940 in St. Bethlehem, TN. Wilma was a good student in school. As a young child she was very ill and it was difficult to get care for her because she lived in a segregated community. Her mother had to travel a long way to get medical treatments for her. Many people thought that she would never walk again. Wilma was determined to work hard to walk again. She had to wear a leg brace as a child. She attended an African American High School and played basketball. Later she joined the track and field team.

Wilma did walk again and she became an athlete and Olympic track and field champion. She became the first American woman to win three track and field gold medals.

In the early 1960s, Rudolph worked as a teacher and a track coach. She wrote her autobiography in 1977 called, Wilma. Her book was later turned into a television film. In the 1980s, she was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. She established the Wilma Rudolph Foundation to promote amateur athletics. Wilma died of brain cancer on November 12, 1994.

Wilma Rudolph demonstrated the characteristics of a hero through her dedication, determination, and never give up spirit. She was also a very caring person by establishing her foundation to help other young athletes.