Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Olympic track and field legend, renowned for her dominance in the heptathlon.
Chronology: 1962-03-03 – Present
Origins & Early Life
Jacqueline Joyner-Kersee, née Joyner, (born March 3, 1962) is an American former track and field athlete who competed in both the heptathlon and long jump. She won three gold, one silver, and two bronze Olympic medals at four different Olympic Games. Joyner-Kersee was also a four-time gold medalist (twice each in heptathlon and long jump) at the world championships. Since 1988, she has held the world record for heptathlon.
Pivotal Works & Achievements
== Early life == Jacqueline Joyner was born March 3, 1962, in East St. Louis, Illinois, and was named after Jacqueline Kennedy, the First Lady of the United States. She was born into a poor family. She found her love for running at the age of 9 when she joined a special community track program. She played basketball, volleyball, and ran track and field in high school.
Enduring Legacy & Impact
As a high school athlete at East St. Louis Lincoln Senior High School, she qualified for the finals in the long jump at the 1980 Olympic Trials, finishing 8th behind another high schooler, Carol Lewis. She was inspired to compete in multi-disciplinary track & field events after seeing a movie about Babe Didrikson Zaharias. Didrikson, the track star, basketball player, and pro golfer, was chosen the...
Source: Wikipedia