Carrie goes for a walk with 6-time Olympic medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee! Jackie discusses her favorite Olympic memories, managing her asthma as an athlete, playing in the American Basketball League and her Winning at Life curriculum.
Recorded May 31, 2018
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Jackie grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois. The second of four children born to Al and Mary Joyner, Jackie’s athletic talent and determination helped her to push through obstacles and go on to win six Olympic medals, including three gold, one silver, and two bronze in four total Olympic games. Jackie has become known as one of the greatest athletes of all time. Her list of achievements include:
- First woman to win back-to-back gold medals in the heptathlon, a 7-discipline event
- First woman to score 7,000 points in the heptathlon
- First American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the long jump
- Current world-record holder in the heptathlon with 7291 points (1988, a record that has stood for 30 years now).
Jackie’s success as an athlete is only surpassed by her achievements in serving her community. She has open-heartedly leveraged her athletic ability to give back and has been honored for this work by The Jesse Owens Award, The Sullivan Award, Volunteers of America Humanitarian Award, The Trumpet Award, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Outstanding Achievement Award, International Olympic Committee Women in Sports Trophy, and 8 Honorary Doctorate degrees.
In her autobiography A Kind of Grace, Jackie explains that, in itself, giving back to the community is a kind of grace. She travels throughout the United States as a motivational speaker to raise awareness about issues such as: overcoming social injustices; winning with grace and humility; dealing with health problems; team building; track and field; youth health and fitness; and women in sports. Her speeches highlight how to combine and apply dedication, determination, and desire. Jackie exemplifies the theme she wrote about in her book A Woman’s Place is Everywhere by applying her famed athletic tenacity to develop great programs and discover committed sponsors in her Foundation’s initiatives worldwide.
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