Womens Athletes History
Wilma Rudolph
History/Facts
Born premature on June 23, 1940, in St. Bethlehem, Tennessee
In 1960, Wilma Rudolph became the first American woman to win three gold medals at a single Olympic Games in Rome.
Stricken with polio as a child, she had problems with her left leg and had to wear a brace. It was with great determination and the help of physical therapy that she was able to overcome the disease as well as her resulting physical disabilities.
Alice Coachman
First black Woman to win a medal at the 1948 Olympics.
Leapt to a record-breaking height of 5 feet, 6 and 1/8 inches in the high jump finals
By 1946, the same year she enrolled in Albany State College, she was the national champion in the 50- and 100-meter races, 400-meter relay and high jump
Later in life, she established the Alice Coachman Track and Field Foundation to help support younger athletes and provide assistance to retired Olympic veterans.
History/Facts
Jackie Joyner Kearse
History/Facts
Born on March 3, 1962, in East St. Louis, Illinois
One of the greatest athletes of all time, track and field star Jackie Joyner-Kersee has won three Olympic gold medals, as well as one silver and two bronze.
Was the first American to win gold for the long jump and the first woman to earn more than 7,000 points in the seven-event heptathlon.
Joyner-Kersee attended the University of California, Los Angeles on a full scholarship, and continued to gain fame on both the court and field.
Althea Gibson
History/Facts
Althea Gibson was born in South Carolina on August 25, 1927.
Her great talent was in tennis, but in the 1940s and '50s, most tournaments were closed to African Americans. Gibson kept playing (and winning) until her skills could no longer be denied
She became the first African American to play at Wimbledon. Gibson won the women's singles and doubles at Wimbledon in 1957, and won the U.S. Open in 1958.
She suffered a stroke and developed serious heart problems. On September 28, 2003, Gibson died of respiratory failure in East Orange, New Jersey.
Serena Williams
History/Facts
Born in 1981 in Saginaw, Michigan, Serena Williams began intensive tennis training at age 3.
She won her first major championship in 1999 and completed the career Grand Slam in 2003.
Along with her individual success, Williams teamed with sister Venus to win a series of doubles titles. Her victory at Wimbledon in 2015 made her the oldest Grand Slam singles champion in the Open era.