First Class Champion Every person has a unique story A person's story is told through a biography Some people's biographies are famous Other people have stories that are not as well known We can learn a lot from any person's biography After listening to his or her story we may consider that person to be remarkable Remarkable people often demonstrate certain qualities that others admire As you read through Wilma Rudolph's biography think about the qualities that people believe make her a remarkable person What is a biography A biography is the story of a person's life Biographies help us understand the experiences of others and how their lives have been influential They can be told through different sources of information Primary sources include a person s own words or pictures Secondary sources include stories from friends family media and research Wilma Rudolph center proudly stood on the podium at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome after winning the 100 meter race The second place winner was Dorothy Hyman of Great Britain and Guiseppina Leone of Italy placed
Overcoming Many obstacles Champion runner Wilma Rudolph was the first American woman to win three gold medals at a single Olympic Games This accomplishment didn t come without a lot of hard work determination and courage As a child Wilma wore a leg brace for paralysis due to illness She was also an African American girl growing up during a time of racial segregation and lack of women's rights Wilma was determined not to let these things stop her With perseverance she overcame these barriers and achieved her dreams P THIN ABOUT IT Do you know someone that is remarkable What qualities do they have that you
History in the Making Wilma Rudolph was born prematurely or early on June 23 1940 in St Bethlehem Tennessee She weighed only 4 5 pounds Her mother and doctor feared for her life but she survived Her parents moved Wilma and her 21 siblings to Clarksville where her father Ed worked as a railway porter and her mother Blanche cleaned the homes of wealthy white families Wilma was a sickly child and her mother nursed her through measles mumps pneumonia and scarlet fever Her family was poor and because they were African American So they were unable to get treatment at the local hospital where only white people were permitted Wilma s parents Ed and Blanche were very supportive of Wilma throughout her
A Mother s Faith When Wilma was four years old she became infected with polio a crippling disease that left one of her legs paralyzed Doctors said that Wilma would never walk again Wilma's mother believed otherwise Every week for the next two years Wilma and her mother traveled 50 miles 80 kilometers to the Meharry Medical College in Nashville There Wilma received physical therapy She was also given a metal brace that she had to I spent most of my time trying to figure out how to get them off But when you come wear on her left leg and foot from a large wonderful family there's every day always a way to achieve your goals Wilma Rudolph ESPN SportsCentury Ell Meharry Medical College was the first medical school in the South for African
