One of the most famous athletes at the 1960 Olympics in Rome was a woman who won three gold medals. The story of how she became an Olympic athlete is even more amazing than her outstanding victories. Wilma Rudolph was born into African American family as the 20th of 22 children! She was born prematurely and weighed only two kilos. When Wilma was still quite young she became ill with polio, a crippling disease without any cure. Doctors said she would never walk again. Ignoring the doctors pessimism, her mother focused instead on helping Wilma walk. The closest available hospital was 80 kilometers away, but she and Wilma traveled there more than 100times - twice each week for two years. Like her mother, Wilma ignored the predictions about her polio and focused on being able to walk again. Her unyielding self-discipline helped her succeed, and young Wilma learned to walk with the help of leg braces. She continued physical therapy at home, with family members massaging her legs up to four times every day. Eventually, self-disciplined Wilma walked without any assistance. Wilma said, My mother taught me to believe I could achieve any accomplishment I wanted to. The first was to walk without braces. Wilmas next goal was to become an athlete. Refusing to be discouraged by her history of polio, she excelled at basketball and set scoring records that led her team to the state championship. While watching her play basketball, a university track coach noticed her speed and invited her to practice running with his university team. Wilma said. I ran and ran every day, and I acquired this sense of determination, this sense of spirit that I would never give up, no matter what else happened. Her self-discipline was rewarded again. Sixteen- year- old Wilma raced at her first Olympics in Australia and finished third, winning a bronze medal. After four more years of vigorous training, she ran at the Olympics in Rome, and finished first in three races, winning three gold medals. Wilma went on to become a teacher, track coach, and sports commentator on radio and television. She felt her greatest accomplishment was her Wilma Rudolph Foundation, a special sports program created to assist young athletes. She said, I tell them that the most important aspect is to be yourself and have confidence in yourself. I remind them the triumph cant be had without the struggle. Wilma Rudolph was living proof that with enough self-discipline, struggles can turn into triumphs.
Posted on: Sun, 27 Oct 2013 16:36:11 +0000
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