Wonder Woman of the Week: Wilma Rudolph
The Wonder Woman this week is an athlete who set the standard for her sport for decades after her retirement. Wilma Rudolph is considered one of the greatest American athletes in history for her "track" record in track and field. Born in 1960 in Tennessee, Rudolph rapidly rose through the ranks of youth athletics to compete in her first Olympic games in 1956 in Melbourne, Australia where she earned a bronze medal in the 200-meter dash along with competing in the 4x100 meter relay. She returned to the Olympics in 1960 where she won three gold medals in the 100, 200, and 4x100 meter relay. Rudolph was often cited as the fasted woman in the world in the 1960's and- along with Muhammad Ali, Oscar Robertson, and Rafer Johnson- was considered one of the greatest athletes in the world of the decade.
Wilma Rudolph retired from competitive sports shortly after her dominant performance at the 1960 Rome Olympics, but maintained a position in sport as a coach. Under her new role, Rudolph became a role model for women and African-American athletes and helped elevate women's sports- particularly track and field- on the international level. She went on to attend college at Tennessee State University where she became an educator. Rudolph would eventually die of cancer in the 1990's after a relatively short life spent breaking world records, leading civil rights, elevating women's sports, and inspiring generations of athletes.
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