| Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Olympic Gold Medal
Athlete
Biography
Jackie Joyner-Kersee is considered one of
the greatest athletes of all time. Sports Illustrated for Women voted Jackie
Female Athlete of the 20th Century and ESPN named her one of the 50 Greatest
Athletes. She received these honors by becoming the first woman to win
back-to-back gold medals in the seven disciplined event, heptathlon; the first
woman to score 7,000 points in the heptathlon; and the first American woman to
win an Olympic gold medal in the long jump, all on her way to winning 6 Olympic
Medals (3 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze) in 4 consecutive Olympic Games.
Off the track, Jackie is always determined to give back and continues to keep
her personal promise to be a contributing citizen of the metropolitan East and
St. Louis community. Her world class philanthropic deeds are praised worldwide.
She has amazed everyone and disappointed no one, as she works to enhance the
lives of children worldwide; champions the causes of asthma awareness, education
and healthy lifestyles.
As a young girl growing up in East St. Louis, Illinois, Jackie participated
in many activities at the Mary Brown Center, including track, dance and
volleyball to name a few. Jackie often quips “if there was a sign-up sheet for
an activity, I would put my name on every one.” The center’s impact on Jackie's
life was considerable. Her participation there played a key role in the
development of her own character and laid the foundation for her athletic
successes in track and field. Aware of the important role the center played in
her own life, when it closed, Jackie wanted more than anything else to know,
“What do the youth in the city do now?” That was Jackie’s motivation to build
the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center.
The author of two books, A Woman’s Place is Everywhere and her autobiography,
A Kind of Grace, Jackie is continuously traveling the country as a motivational
speaker, bringing awareness to causes and initiatives she is passionate about
and working to involve more corporations, sponsors and community groups in
advancing her Foundation’s programs and initiatives worldwide.
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The Next Step
Contact Roxanne Black-Weisheit for further information at
(732) 418-1811 ext. 211
or Download The Speaker Request form and E-Mail to:
rblack@friendshealthconnection.org
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