INSPIRING STORY OF THE SPRINTER WILMA RUDOLPH

INSPIRING STORY OF THE SPRINTER WILMA RUDOLPH

Wilma Rudolph was an Olympic sprinter, who became the first American woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympic game.  She won three gold medals in the 100-meter and 200-meter individual events and the 4*100-meter relay at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy.  Wilma was born prematurely in a poor family as 20th child among 22 children in Tennessee, weighing 2 kg (4.5 pounds) on June 23, 1940.

EARLY LIFE

Wilma suffered from several early childhood illnesses.  At the age of four, she had double pneumonia with scarlet fever and she contracted infantile paralysis (caused by poliovirus) at the age of five.  She recovered from polio, but lost strength in her left leg and feet, physically disabled for much of her early life.  She had to wear a leg brace and an orthopedic shoe.  The doctor said she would never put her foot on the earth.  But her mother encouraged her; she told Wilma that with God-given ability, persistence and faith, she could do anything she wanted. Wilma said, "I want to be the fastest woman on the track on this earth."

TREATMENTS

Rudolph and her mother made weekly bus trips to Nashville for treatments to regain the use of her weekend leg.  She received subsequent at-home massage treatments four times a day from members of her family.  Because of the treatments and massages, Wilma was able to overcome the debilitating effects of polio and learned to walk without a leg brace or an orthopedic shoe for support by the time she was 12 years old.

CAREER

At the age of 13, she entered her first race and came way, way last.  And then, she entered her second, third, and fourth and came way, way last until a day came when she came in first.  At the age of 15, she went to Tennessee State University, where she met a coach whose name is Ed Temple.  She told him, "I want to be the fastest woman on the track on this earth."  Temple told her, "With your spirit nobody can stop you and besides, I will help you."

1956 SUMMER OLYMPICS

The day came when she was at the Olympics and in the 1956 Summer Olympics, Wilma won only one bronze medal and she had decided to try to win gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics.

1960 SUMMER OLYMPICS

In the 1960 Summer Olympics, Wilma was matched against a woman named Jutta Heine, who had never been beaten.  The first event was the 100-meter race.  Wilma beat Jutta and won her first gold medal.  The second event was the 200-meter race.  In  that also, Wilma beat Jutta and won her second gold medal.  The third event was the 400-meter relay.  In the relay, the fastest person always runs the last lap and Wilma and Jutta both anchored their teams.  The first three people ran and changed the baton easily.  When it came to Wilma's turn, she dropped the baton.  But Wilma saw Jutta shoot up at the other end, she picked the baton, ran like the wind, beat Jutta a third time and won her third gold medal.  It became the history that a paralytic woman became the fastest woman on this earth at the 1960 Summer Olympics.  

TEACHING OF WILMA'S LIFE

Her life teaches many lessons to us.  Disability was not a problem for her and she overcame it and achieved what she wanted.  We can also achieve our goals by not considering our obstacles and by focusing on our goals.  Every individual has a unique talent.  Anyone can achieve anything in life, but all we need to have is having interest on the things we do.  Through practice, God-given ability, and hard work, we can achieve what we want.  It may take time, but definitely, success will happen in everyone's life.

• THE GREATEST PLEASURE IN LIFE IS DOING WHAT PEOPLE SAY YOU CANNOT DO.
• WE ARE WHAT WE REPEATEDLY DO.
• SUCCESS COMES FROM HAVING DREAMS THAT ARE BIGGER THAN YOUR FEARS.