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WILMA RUDOLPH

by Ishmael from New Jersey

I CAN ACCEPT FAILURE, BUT I CAN'T ACCEPT NOT TRYING - MICHAEL JORDAN
Wilma wins the gold!!<b>
Wilma wins the gold!!

Wilma Rudolph was a famous track star. She wasn’t famous just for the Olympics, but for how she overcame the illness of polio. Polio is a crippling disease. The doctors had once told Wilma’s mother that she would never be able to walk. But with a determined mom and family, Wilma was treated at Fisk university in Nashville Tennessee, two times a week for two years until she was able to walk with a metal leg brace. Wilma not only learned how to walk she learned how to become the fastest woman in the world by running track.

Representing USA
Representing USA

Wilma broke many records worldwide as the first American woman to win 3 gold medals in the Olympic games. Wilma’s life story was made into a movie in 1977, the movie is still being played on cable television.
Wilma's celebrity and fame caused gender barriers to be broken in all-male track and field events. Wilma also had the first ever intergrated victory parade in her home town of Clarksville,Tennessee.

WILMA
WILMA

How did I decide to pick Wilma Rudolph?
I decided to do my national history day report on Wilma Rudolph, due to the fact I had just watched the movie on her life story. My mother and I watched the movie of her life not so long ago during black history month in February. The movie was played on national cable television. At the time, I wasn’t interested in watching the movie but my mother insisted that I should watch the movie with her and learn history about a great African-American woman. I am glad that I watched it and learned about Wilma Rudolph’s struggle and her triumph to become the fastest woman in the world by running track and by being the first American women to win three gold medals in the Olympics.

How I conducted my research: I conducted my research by remembering the movie on Wilma Rudolph’s life story that I saw earlier this year. I also went to the library and checked and read these biographies: Wilma Rudolph by Amy Ruth, Wilma Rudolph the greatest women sprinter in history by Anne Schraff, and Wilma Rudolph by Victoria Sherrow. I also researched information on the internet. The following web sites were very helpful to me: great women.org, Wilmarudolph.com.

WILMA THE TEACHER
WILMA THE TEACHER

How I selected my presentation choice and created my project:
I decided to present my topic as a web page project. When doing my research on Wilma, I located a web page that helps form my hero projects and presentations into a website. I thought that by showing it to my audience, they would understand and hang on to information better. I inserted pictures of Wilma Rudolph running track. By adding pictures of her, I wanted to show everyone in the school that didn’t know who she was and what she looked like so they can recognize her.

stamp
stamp

Why this project relates to the national day theme:
Studying Wilma Rudolph was important to me and all people because she is a part of history that I did not know about. First for being a woman, who did not let any obstacles stop her. Learning about Wilma Rudolph can help all people, not just people with disabilities by showing them to never give up. Wilma’s persistence and strength helped her to achieve her goal to make it to the Olympics. I feel that she is a great hero to the youth like myself, who participate in sports and have to practice discipline within the sport of our choice. Every girl that runs track should watch the movie of Wilma’s life story. Doing this might make them work harder and run faster to win races and to make history like Wilma. Therefore, I am very happy that National History day exists, and that we have the opportunity to learn about all different types of heroes.

Page created on 8/30/2008 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 8/30/2008 12:00:00 AM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.

Extra Info

FACTS ON WILMA

1.WILMA WAS BORN IN JUNE 23, 1940 IN CLARKSVILLE, TENNESSEE.

2. SHE WAS THE 20TH OF 22ND CHILDERN.
3. WILMA WAS UNABLE TO WALK UNTIL THE AGE OF 12, WITH NO BRACES OR CRUTCHES.

4. IN JUNIOR HIGH WILMA FOLLOWED HER OLDER SISTER YOLONDA AND JOINED THE BASKETBALL TEAM. SHE SET STATE RECORDS FOR SCORING.

5. SHE SURVIVED POLIO A DISEASE THAT MAKES YOU NOT ABLE TO WALK. SHE SURVIVED IT BY GOING TO THERAPY AT THE MEHARY HOSPITAL IN TENNESSEE, TWO TIMES A WEEK.

6. SHE WENT TO TENNESSEE STATE COLLEGE AND RAN TRACK. HER NICKNAME WAS SKEETER, BECAUSE SHE WAS SO FAST.

7. WILMA FIRST WENT TO THE OLYMPIC GAMES IN 1956, AT AGE 16 SHE WON A BRONZE MEDAL.

8. WILMA WAS THE FIRST AMERICAN WOMAN TO WIN 3 GOLD MEDALS.

9. JUNE 23RD WAS PROCLAIMED AS WILMA RUDOLPH DAY IN TENNESSEE.

10. 1997 SHE WROTE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND THEN A MOVIE WAS MADE ABOUT HER LIFE.

11. AFTER RETIRING FROM TRACK, WILMA BECAME A SCHOOL TEACHER AND TRACK COACH.

12. WILMA DIED NOVEMBER12, 1994 AT THE AGE OF 54.