 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Wilma
Rudolph
by Maddie
Wilma Rudolph was the first woman from the United States to win three gold medals in the same Olympics. What makes this so remarkable is that she was an African American and she won the medals for running even though she was told when she was four years old that she would never even walk. Wilma was the 20th of 22 children born on June 23, 1940 in Clarksville, Tennessee. Her father worked as a porter on railroad cars and her mother cleaned and did laundry for rich white families six days a week. Wilma was sick with different illnesses from the time she was born. The most serious was when Wilma was four and she was diagnosed with polio. Polio is a disease in your legs that prevents you from walking without leg braces and keeps you in a wheel chair. Our 32nd President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was also diagnosed with polio. It was very hard for Wilma’s mother to find her daughter treatment for her legs because they were African American. Mrs. Rudolph had to take Wilma 50 miles from home to the African American hospital every week on her day off. Mrs. Rudolph learned how to rub Wilma’s legs and taught her other children how to do it too. The treatment worked because after five years of it Wilma surprised her doctors by taking off her leg braces and walking. The track coach at her high school encouraged Wilma to start running. She
ran so well that when she was in her senior year she made the 1956 Olympic team. She
won a bronze medal that year in the 400 meter relay. She made the Olympic
team again in 1960. This time she won three Olympic gold
medals for the 100 meter race, the 200 meter race and even after
she sprained her ankle she won the 400 meter relay. Sources: |