FREE ESSAY ON WILMA RUDOLPH

WILMA RUDOLPH

Almost as fast as a Speeding Bullet This report is on Wilma Glodean Rudolph. Wilma was
born June 23,1940 in Clarksville, Tennessee. William's education is: her mother tutored
she until she started school when she was seven. She eventually graduated from the
school, went to Tennessee State University and graduated with "flying colors". When Wilma
was born she weighed only 4.5 pounds, and was the twentieth of twenty-two children! Since
than she was nursed by her mother until she was seven. She was sick all the time. She had
measles, mumps, scarlet fever, chicken pox, and double pneumonia. She had to be taken to
the doctor because her left leg was getting very weak, she soon found out she had polio
in her left leg. They thought she would never walk again. But she and her mother would
never give up hope that easily. The only place Wilma could go to get treated was at
Meharry Hospital, the black medical college of Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee.
It was fifty miles away but her mother took her twice a week for two years until she
could walk with the help of a metal brace on her leg Finally at the age of twelve a
miracle happened, she walk without a metal brace, without a crutch, without any help at
all. In junior high school she followed her sister's footsteps and became a basketball
player. The coach Clinton Gray did not put her in a game for three years. He finally
started she her sophomore year. She started as point guard. During a tournament she was
spotted by Ed Temple the couch of the famous track team called the Tigerbells. Because
her school did not have a track team Ed invited Wilma to a summer sports camp for track
at Tennessee State University. After graduating from high school, she received a sports
scholarship and went to Tennessee State University. Because of her celebrity from her
track carrier she took a year off year studies, she made appearances and participated in
International track events. She returned to her studies and received a degree in
education when she graduated in 1963. In 1963 she also married her high school
sweetheart, Robert Eldrige, with whom she had four children, Yolanda {1958}, Djuanna
{1964}, Robert Jr. {1965}, and Xurry {1971}. They later got divorced. Now I will tell you
about her accomplishments. Her first accomplishment was just staying alive. But after
that she won a bronze metal in the 4x4 relay race in the1956 Olympic Games at the age of
16. On September 17th 1960 in Rome she became the first women to win three Olympic gold
metals. She won the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, and ran the anchor in the
400-meter relay team. That led her to become one of the most celebrated female athletes
in history. Because of her celebrity she caused gender barriers to be broken. Because,
previously women were not allowed in all track events. So she went where no women have
gone before, and so did other women thanks to her. HER AWARDS United Press Athlete of the
year 1960 Associated Press Women Athlete of the year 1960 The Babe Zaharias Award 1962
Black Sports Hall of Fame 1980 U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame 1983 Vitalis Cup for Sports
Excellence 1983 Women's Sports Foundation Award 1984 The First Women to get these Awards
James E. Sulivan Award for good sportsmanship 1961 European Sportswriters' Sportsman of
the year Christopher Columbus Award for Most Outstanding t International Sports
Personality 1960 The Penn Relays 1961 New York Athlete Club Track Meet. The Millrose
Games There were other honors as well. In 1963 she was selected to represent the U.S.
State Department as a Goodwill Ambassador at the Games of Friendship in Dakar, Senegal.
Later, that year she was invited by Doctor Billy Graham to join the Baptist Christian
Athletes in Japan. She had the first party recorded in Clarksville history where blacks
and whites gathered for the same event. She also went on to protest about segregation
until the laws where brought down. After retiring from her track carrier she went back to
Clarksville and taught at her old school Cobb Elementary, and was the track coach at her
alma matter, Burt High School. She replaced her old coach Clinton Gray who tragically,
died in an auto accident. After that she moved on to coaching positions first Maine, than
Indiana. She was a gust speaker at dozons of schools and universities. She then became a
sports commentary on national television and the co-host of a radio show. In 1967 Vice
President Hubert Humfrey invited Wilma to participate in 'Operation Champ" an athlete
outreach program for underprivileged youth in the ghettoes of 16 major cities. She
started her own non-profit organization, called The Wilma Rudolph Foundation, to continue
this kind of work. The foundation provided coaching for many sports, and accademic
assistance and support as well. In 1977 she wrote her autobiography, simply titled
"Wilma" It was made into a television movie; Wilma worked on it as a consultant. In 1997,
Governor Don Sunquist proclaimed June 23 as Wilma Rudolph Day in Tennessee. Date of
Death: Saturday, November 12, 1994, at the age of 54 Place of Death: Wilma died in her
home in Nashville, Tennessee. She had been in and out of Hospitals for several months
after being diagnosed with Brain Cancer. Leroy Walker, president of the U. S. Olympic
committee, said, "All of us recognize that this is obviously a tremendous loss. Wilma was
still very much involved in many Olympic programs. It's a tragic loss. She was struck
with an illness that, unfortunately, we can't do very much about." That concludes my
report of the tremendous life Wilma had. ilma Glodean Rudolph. Wilma was born June
23,1940 in Clarksville, Tennessee. William's education is: her mother tutored she until
she started school when she was seven. She eventually graduated from the school, went to
Tennessee State University and graduated with "flying colors". When Wilma was born she
weighed only 4.5 pounds, and was the twentieth of twenty-two children! Since than she was
nursed by her mother until she was seven. She was sick all the time. She had measles,
mumps, scarlet fever, chicken pox, and double pneumonia. She had to be taken to the
doctor because her left leg was getting very weak, she soon found out she had polio in
her left leg. They thought she would never walk again. But she and her mother would never
give up hope that easily. The only place Wilma could go to get treated was at Meharry
Hospital, the black medical college of Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. It was
fifty miles away but her mother took her twice a week for two years until she could walk
with the help of a metal brace on her leg Finally at the age of twelve a miracle
happened, she walk without a metal brace, without a crutch, without any help at all. In
junior high school she followed her sister's footsteps and became a basketball player.
The coach Clinton Gray did not put her in a game for three years. He finally started she
her sophomore year. She started as point guard. During a tournament she was spotted by Ed
Temple the couch of the famous track team called the Tigerbells. Because her school did
not have a track team Ed invited Wilma to a summer sports camp for track at Tennessee
State University. After graduating from high school, she received a sports scholarship
and went to Tennessee State University. Because of her celebrity from her track carrier
she took a year off year studies, she made appearances and participated in International
track events. She returned to her studies and received a degree in education when she
graduated in 1963. In 1963 she also married her high school sweetheart, Robert Eldrige,
with whom she had four children, Yolanda {1958}, Djuanna {1964}, Robert Jr. {1965}, and
Xurry {1971}. They later got divorced. Now I will tell you about her accomplishments. Her
first accomplishment was just staying alive. But after that she won a bronze metal in the
4x4 relay race in the1956 Olympic Games at the age of 16. On September 17th 1960 in Rome
she became the first women to win three Olympic gold metals. She won the 100-meter dash,
the 200-meter dash, and ran the anchor in the 400-meter relay team. That led her to
become one of the most celebrated female athletes in history. Because of her celebrity
she caused gender barriers to be broken. Because, previously women were not allowed in
all track events. So she went where no women have gone before, and so did other women
thanks to her. HER AWARDS United Press Athlete of the year 1960 Associated Press Women
Athlete of the year 1960 The Babe Zaharias Award 1962 Black Sports Hall of Fame 1980 U.S.
Olympic Hall of Fame 1983 Vitalis Cup for Sports Excellence 1983 Women's Sports
Foundation Award 1984 The First Women to get these Awards James E. Sulivan Award for good
sportsmanship 1961 European Sportswriters' Sportsman of the year Christopher Columbus
Award for Most Outstanding t International Sports Personality 1960 The Penn Relays 1961
New York Athlete Club Track Meet. The Millrose Games There were other honors as well. In
1963 she was selected to represent the U.S. State Department as a Goodwill Ambassador at
the Games of Friendship in Dakar, Senegal. Later, that year she was invited by Doctor
Billy Graham to join the Baptist Christian Athletes in Japan. She had the first party
recorded in Clarksville history where blacks and whites gathered for the same event. She
also went on to protest about segregation until the laws where brought down. After
retiring from her track carrier she went back to Clarksville and taught at her old school
Cobb Elementary, and was the track coach at her alma matter, Burt High School. She
replaced her old coach Clinton Gray who tragically, died in an auto accident. After that
she moved on to coaching positions first Maine, than Indiana. She was a gust speaker at
dozons of schools and universities. She then became a sports commentary on national
television and the co-host of a radio show. In 1967 Vice President Hubert Humfrey invited
Wilma to participate in 'Operation Champ" an athlete outreach program for underprivileged
youth in the ghettoes of 16 major cities. She started her own non-profit organization,
called The Wilma Rudolph Foundation, to continue this kind of work. The foundation
provided coaching for many sports, and accademic assistance and support as well. In 1977
she wrote her autobiography, simply titled "Wilma" It was made into a television movie;
Wilma worked on it as a consultant. In 1997, Governor Don Sunquist proclaimed June 23 as
Wilma Rudolph Day in Tennessee. Date of Death: Saturday, November 12, 1994, at the age of
54 Place of Death: Wilma died in her home in Nashville, Tennessee. She had been in and
out of Hospitals for several months after being diagnosed with Brain Cancer. Leroy
Walker, president of the U. S. Olympic committee, said, "All of us recognize that this is
obviously a tremendous loss. Wilma was still very much involved in many Olympic programs.
It's a tragic loss. She was struck with an illness that, unfortunately, we can't do very
much about." That concludes my report of the tremendous life Wilma had.