Jesse Owens

Picture of Jesse Owens when he ran for Ohio (www.lecto.net)

A hero should be your idol. A hero doesn’t have to be the greatest at what they do best. A hero should be somebody who is drug free, stays out of trouble, and means a lot to you. That’s mostly why I picked Jesse Owens. He was drug free, he stayed out of trouble and he wasn’t a bad guy at all. The sport he was in was track and he was fast. He was the best ever. They say he was the fastest ever, even today. That is why Jesse Owens is my hero.

Jesse running the hurdles (www.jesse-owens.org)

James Cleveland Owens was born on September 12, 1913 in Oakville, Alabama. His parents' names were Henry and Emma Owens. He lived in Oakville till he was nine. His nickname was J.C. He had six brothers and three sisters, of which he was the youngest. His family and he were share croppers. They planted corn, cotton, and other crops. They had trouble feeding their family of ten. Jesse learned to read and write in a one room school house. Jesse really enjoyed running because it was something he could do on his own.

Jesse long jumping (www.princetonedu.com)

Jesse's sister moved to Cleveland, Ohio, when she was old enough to work. The kids and parents ended up moving there. They ended up living in the ghetto because they didn’t have much money. He got his other nickname, Jesse, from when he started school in Ohio. The first day, the teacher asked him what his name was and he said J.C. He had a southern accent so she thought he said Jesse and that’s what everyone called him and that’s the name he kept.

Jesse was in gym class one day and the guys were being timed for the 60 yard, and the P.E. teacher was the track coach, and he was shocked with Jesse's speed. He was immediately put on the track team. Jesse ran the 100 yard dash, 220 yard dash, hurdles, high jump, and the 440 yard dash. Jesse Owens set a lot of records in his time. Jesse had colleges all over the place wanting him to come and run for them. He wanted to stay close to home so he went to Ohio State. A lot of people harassed him for being African American so he decided to leave. Eventually Jesse had to pay for his college, so he worked hard. Then Jesse went to the Olympics. At the Berlin Olympics he won four gold medals. Jesse passed away March 31, 1980 in Tucson, Arizona.

Jesse Owens holding his four gold medals (www.congressionalgoldmedal.com)

Jesse came from a family that didn’t have a lot of money and he became a star. That proves to everyone you can be what you want to be. You just have to put your mind to it. He fought for equal rights. He earned four gold medals and set one Olympic record. Jesse will definitely be remembered.