10 Things You Need To Know About
Wilma Rudolph
Image - Wikimedia Commons
#1-
Wilma Rudolph was born on 23 June, 1940, in Tennessee, U.S. Her real name was Wilma Glodean Rudolph.
#2-
Her father, "Ed Rudolph," had 22 children, of whom Wilma was his twentieth child.
#3-
Wilma contracted polio at the age of 5, which left her with partial paralysis in her left leg. She used to walk with a leg brace.
#4-
At 12, she regained her ability to walk without a leg brace, & during high school, she started competing in track and field.
#5-
At 16, Wilma attended the 1956 U.S. Olympic track and field team trials, & she qualified for the 1956 Summer Olympics in the 200-metre race.
#6-
She won her 1st gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics. She won the 100-metre dash, tying the world record of 11.3 seconds.
#7-
Wilma Rudolph won three gold medals in track and field at the 1960 Olympics, becoming the first American woman to do so.
#8-
She was also nicknamed "The Tornado, the fastest woman on earth", "The Black Gazelle", & "The Black Pearl".
#9-
Wilma retired from track & field at 22 & completed her bachelor's degree. After retirement, she started teaching and coaching.
#10-
Her Autobiography, "Wilma: The Story of Wilma Rudolph," was also published in 1977.
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