wilma rudolph

1940 - 1994

Saint Bethlehem, Tennessee

Track star, Olympian

As one of the fastest women of all time, Wilma Rudolph's road to success wasn't as paved as we'd assume.

Growing up, she endured stints of scarlet fever and double pneumonia. She contracted polio, which left her leg paralyzed and in need of a brace. While the doctor told Rudolph she'd never walk again, her leg healed, and she began to participate in various sports. She was even nominated as an All-American in high school for basketball. But, we all know how this story unfolds: Track was the sport that sealed the deal.

At 16, she qualified for the Olympic Track team, making her first Olympic appearance in 1956. Here she won bronze in the 4x100 relay. Four years later, during the 1960 Rome Olympics, Rudolph won three gold medals, breaking various world records in the process. Rudolph became the first American woman to win three gold medals in one Olympic game.

She officially retired in 1962 and focused on working with under-resourced children after finishing her degree at Tennessee State University.