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SPEAKER_06: Oh, hey, I'm Maddie Foley, one of the producers
SPEAKER_01: here at Wonder Media Network. The show you are listening to right now, Encyclopedia Womanica, is one of my favorite creative resources. We tell so many stories of real women doing these crazy, incredible things. Stories that are begging to be featured in illustrations, comics, songs, maybe some fan fiction. And you can help us keep telling these stories by joining our new membership program over at glow.fm slash Womanica. See you there.
SPEAKER_04: Hey, I'm Grace Lynch. I'm a producer at Wonder Media Network and one of the many hands behind the scenes of Encyclopedia Womanica. All month, we've been revisiting some of our favorite episodes from season one. And today, I'm honored to reintroduce Wilma Rudolph. As a sports fan myself, Wilma's story really resonated with me. I am especially obsessive when it comes to the Olympics. I cry at every single medal ceremony, regardless of the event or who's even on the podium. For me, it's just watching people achieve their dreams. That brings tears to my eyes. I mean, what could be better than that? And had I been alive when Wilma won three gold medals in the 1960s Olympics, I no doubt would have been an absolute mess. I believe she has one of the greatest stories of all time. She went from being told that she'd never walk again to becoming the fastest woman in the world. Wilma embodies a true champion. Needless to say, I wept a whole lot while producing this episode, and I couldn't be more thrilled to reintroduce you to the remarkable Wilma Rudolph. This episode initially aired in April during our Explorers and Contenders Month. So without further ado, here's Jenny Kaplan with the full story.
SPEAKER_02: Hello. From Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan, and this is Encyclopedia Wamanica. Today's contender was a pioneering American athlete who overcame childhood paralysis to become a legendary track and field star. She was an Olympic champion and international sports icon following her performances in the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Games. Please welcome Wilma Rudolph. Wilma was born on June 23, 1940, in St. Bethlehem, Tennessee, to Ed and Blanche Rudolph. She was the 20th of 22 siblings born across her father's two marriages. Soon after she was born, Wilma's family moved to Clarksville, Tennessee, so her father could work as a railway porter. Wilma was born prematurely, and she suffered a number of serious childhood illnesses in her early years. She also had about a polio when she was five. She survived polio but developed infantile paralysis in her left foot and leg as a result of the virus. This caused severe weakness and disability in that leg and forced her to wear a heavy brace to provide support. The prognosis was bleak. Wilma later wrote, my doctor told me I would never walk again. I would never walk again. With limited medical care available to African Americans in 1940s Clarksville, Wilma's mother made weekly bus trips with her to a historically black medical college in Nashville for treatment and physical therapy. These treatments, along with daily massages provided by her family members, helped Wilma slowly regain strength in her left leg. Wilma's mother was a doctor who was a doctor who was a doctor who was a doctor who was a doctor who was a doctor who was a doctor who slowly regained strength in her left leg. By the time she was 12, Wilma had made enough progress to walk and even run without her brace. Early on, Wilma had to be homeschooled due to illness. But when she was seven, she started attending public elementary school. By the time she started high school, she was not only fully able to walk, but was a basketball and track star for her school. Others outside of school saw her burgeoning athletic talent too. She was noticed by Tennessee State University's track coach when she was just 14. So Wilma began training regularly at Tennessee State, a track and field powerhouse at the time. She even competed for the university while still technically in high school. When Wilma was 16 years old, she was invited to attend the 1956 US Olympic Track and Field Team qualifying trials in Seattle, Washington. She qualified to compete in the 200 meter individual event at the 1956 Olympics, making her the youngest member of the US Olympic team in Melbourne, Australia. Wilma didn't make it out of the preliminary heats of the 200 meter dash, but she was a member of the American 4 by 100 relay team that won bronze at that Olympics. She vowed she would return to the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome and that she would then win gold. In 1958, Wilma began attending Tennessee State as a full-time student while continuing her track training there. Over the next two years, she won a slew of medals at international amateur and collegiate events. Still, her eye was set on the 1960 Olympics. At the 1960 US Track and Field Team qualifying trials in Abilene, Texas, Wilma set a world record in the 200 meter dash. She retained that record for the next eight years. She also qualified for the Olympics in the 100 meter dash. Wilma arrived at the 1960 Summer Olympics with dreams of winning gold. She left having earned her place as one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century.
SPEAKER_07: Rome welcomes the summer games of the 17th Olympiad.
SPEAKER_02: Competing on a cinder track, Wilma won gold in the 100 meter dash, the 200 meter dash, and in the 4 by 100 meter relay. She was the first American woman in history to win three gold medals at a single Olympics.
SPEAKER_07: Rudolph destroyed the field in the 200 meters to claim her second gold medal.
SPEAKER_02: She was called the tornado, the flash, and the fastest woman in history. The 1960s Olympics were the first games to be televised internationally, and Wilma was one of the breakout stars of the coverage, along with fellow American teammates Cassius Clay, who changed his name to Muhammad Ali, and Oscar Robertson. She was thrust into the international spotlight, where she was called the greatest American athlete of the day and was hailed for her physical grace and beauty. After the Olympics, Wilma went on a European tour where she competed in packed stadiums across the continent. She then headed back to the US, where she received a heroine's welcome. Wilma's hometown of Clarksville, Tennessee, wanted to celebrate with a parade and day of festivities. Wilma refused to attend unless the event was integrated. As a result, Welcome Wilma Day, held on October 4, 1960, became the first fully integrated event in Clarksville history. It was attended by an estimated 1,100 people. In 1961, Wilma won the prestigious Associated Press
SPEAKER_09: Female Athlete of the Year Award. A year later, at just 22 years old,
SPEAKER_02: Wilma retired from track competition. She wanted to leave at the top of her game. To get a standing ovation in my own country, outdoors, which I'd never had before, I was able to go to the top of the world and get a chance to be a part of the world.
SPEAKER_00: And I was able to go to the top of the world and get a standing ovation in my own country, outdoors, which I'd never had before. I think it was the grandest moment in my career. I retired that day, and I have never regretted it.
SPEAKER_02: With regard to competing in the upcoming 1964 Olympics, Wilma said, if I won two medals, there would be something lacking. I'll stick with the glory I've already won, like Jesse Owens did in 1936. After her retirement, Wilma went on vacation at Tennessee State and became a second grade teacher and a high school track coach. Throughout the year, she continued her involvement in promoting amateur athletics. Wilma died of a brain tumor on November 12, 1994, in Brentwood, Tennessee. She was 54 years old. All month, we're talking about explorers and contenders. For more on why we're doing what we're doing, check out our Encyclopedia Wamanica newsletter, Wamanica Weekly. You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Encyclopedia Wamanica. And you can follow me directly on Twitter at Jenny M. Kaplan. Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator. Talk to you tomorrow. Before you go, I have a quick request. We're eager to know more about our audience, so we created a short listener survey to help us learn more about you. Visit wondermedianetwork.com slash survey to share your thoughts and be entered to win some Wonder Media Network swag. That's wondermedianetwork.com slash survey. I'll also post the link in the episode notes.
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