Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Wilma was "the world's fastest woman"

Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman ~ by Kathleen Krull, 1996, children's, 8/10
I learned about this children's book for ages 5-9 from Mighty Girls.  Born in 1940, Wilma Rudolph was a model of determination and resiliency.  Before Wilma Rudolph was five years old, polio had paralyzed her left leg.  She wore a leg brace for years and survived scarlet fever, whooping cough, and measles.  Everyone said she would never walk again, but Wilma refused to believe it.  She vowed that not only would she walk again, she'd run.  When she was 12, Wilma freed herself from her brace and committed herself to athletics, where she quickly excelled in track and field.  After years of rigorous training, she competed in the 1956 Melbourne Games and won her first Olympic medal, a bronze in the 4 x 100 meter relay.  Rudolph truly made her mark, however, at the 1960 Rome Olympics when she became the first American woman to win three gold medals at a single Olympics.  After her record-breaking performance, she was widely honored as "the world's fastest woman."
Here's a little inspiration from the "world's fastest woman":
"Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit.  We are all the same in this notion:  The potential for greatness lives within each of us."

1 comment:

Helen's Book Blog said...

She was an incredible woman! Sophia did her biography project on her in 3rd grade ("mama, I want to do it on a woman of color who was interesting.") She loved reading and learning about her!