Wilma Rudoph overcame polio as a child to become the fastest female sprinter in the world. She was the first woman to win three Olympic gold medals in a single Olympic Games.
Born premature at 4 and 1/2 pounds, Wilma contracted polio at age four. She wore a brace on her left leg and worked with a physical therapist. Through sheer determination, Wilma walked without the brace by age nine. By age eleven, she no longer needed an orthopedic shoe.
Wilma, one of twenty-two children, loved basketball. With two strong legs, she became a star player at her Tennessee high school. Tennessee State University track and field coach Ed Temple watched Wilma in action. He knew at once that she was a gifted athlete. He first invited her to participate in the Tennessee State summer track and field program. From then on she trained with him.
In 1956, at age sixteen, Wilma became the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic team competing in the Summer Games in Melbourne, Australia. She won a bronze medal in the 4 x 100 m relay.
Wilma raced again in the 1960 Summer Olympic Games in Rome. She won and set records in the 200 m dash and the 4 x 100 m relay and won the 100 m dash. Nicknamed “The Tornado,” at age twenty, Wilma became the “fastest woman in the world.” She was the first woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympic Games — the first Olympic Games to be televised.
Coach Ed Temple and team, Rome, 1960
“I always had the worst starts in the history of sprinters because of my size [5’11”]. I was the tallest sprinter that ever came from the United States. In my first 35-45 yards, I was never in the race so I was always happy they didn’t have 35-45 yard races. The farther I ran, the faster I became. I could always accelerate at the end and that was the key to the success of Wilma Rudolph, never the start.”
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A Book For Kids:
Wilma Unlimited
By Kathleen Krull, Illustrated by David Diaz
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