Wilma Rudolph

Cancer Type – Brain

Bio – The track superstar was an inspiration to women athletes and Jackie Joyner-Kersee’s idol.

Short Story – Wilma Rudolph won three gold medals in the 1960 Summer Olympics: 100- and 200- meter sprints, as well as the 4 x 100 relay. She became a voice, including an effort to desegregate a restaurant in her hometown of Clarksville, TN, which worked.

She inspired everyone she came in contact with, including a generation of track stars. Jackie Joyner-Kersee called Rudolph, “my idol”. As one of the greatest Olympic champions ever, she paved the way black women athletes.

Rudolph became a teacher and track coach after her Olympic career. As a child she overcame paralysis of her leg after complications of polio, scarlet fever, and pneumonia, making her story even more compelling. So much so, a 1977 TV movie was produced about her life based on her autobiography, Wilma. In 1973 she was inducted into the Black Athletes Hall of Fame, and in 1974 she was named to the National Track and Field Hall of Fame.

At the age of 54, she lost her battle with brain cancer. She passed on Nov. 12, 1994 in Nashville. However, her passion and determination in overcoming obstacles, that led her to becoming a legend in the sports world, will live on forever. “I tell them that the most important aspect is to be yourself and have confidence in yourself,” she said. “I remind them the triumph can’t be had without the struggle.” – Source Wilma Rudolph Website

Image Credits – By Lindeboom, Henk / Anefo [CC BY-SA 3.0 nl (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/nl/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons