Wilma Rudolph Accomplishments

Wilma Glodean Rudolph, a decorated Olympic athlete, was born on June 23, 1940 in Bethlehem, Tennessee. She was the twentieth of twenty-two children, birthed as a sickly, premature child who suffered from scarlet fever, pneumonia, and most famously, polio. Every day, her and her mom would take the segregated bus to Nashville for therapy despite doctors insisting Wilma would never walk again. Instead, she improved tremendously, walking with a brace at age eight, and playing basketball barefoot only three years later! What surprised everyone the most, was that Wilma Rudolph was an excellent athlete, scoring 800 points in basketball during her sophomore year alone. Although she was great at basketball, she was noticed by Ed Temple, a coach at Tennessee State University, but a girl’s running coach. One thing led to another, and eventually Wilma …show more content…
First off, during that period, track and field wasn’t as big of a sport as it is now. It was more of a minor thing in the games, shadowed by things such as gymnastics and boxing. Also, most people were more interested in watching Cassius Clay, more widely known as Muhammad Ali. After her accomplishments in the 1960 Olympics, young athletes became more interested in the sport. Second, people admired how she went from unable to walk to becoming the athlete she is known for now. She inspired so many people with disabilities to rise to their fullest potential, rather than sit and do nothing about it. But most of all, she had an impact on the female sports world. She was ahead of her time. Most women athletes rose to their high points during the late sixties and early seventies. She showed women of all races that they could always do what they wanted, just with a little bit of effort. After her Olympic debut, more women's rights advocates came out of the shadows, leading to the passing of the law Title IX, just twelve years

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