Woman of the Day: Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Growing up, I remember learning of the accomplishments of many people in US and world history. Invariably, those people were men. Very rarely were women discussed. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that the accomplishments of women have long been minimized or ignored.  This is another way that sexism has played out in society. Denying the accomplishments of women is an insult. It treats them as if they’re unimportant…as if they haven’t contributed significantly to events throughout human history. In this ongoing series, I’ll be highlighting notable women, historically important women, and those women who ought to be more well-known.  My intent is to show that women have contributed to the course of human history and ought to be recognized, rather than ignored or overlooked. Six time Olympic champion and philanthropist Jacqueline “Jackie” Joyner-Kersee is today’s Woman of the Day.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee was born in East St. Louis, Illinois in 1962.  Growing up, she was prevented from dating by her mother and chose to focus her energies on athleticism. Enrolling in a track program at the local Mary Brown Community Center, Jackie didn’t meet with much success at first. Watching the 1976 Olympic Games inspired young Jackie and at the age of 14 she  won the first of four straight national junior pentathlon championships.  In high school, she pursued volleyball and basketball, becoming so good at the latter that the girl’s basketball team won by an average of 52 points per game in her senior year. She received a basketball scholarship to the University of California at Los Angeles, Following the sudden death of her mother in 1980, Jackie returned to college and found comfort in assistant coach Bob Kersee.  Kersee was so convinced of Jackie’s talent that he convinced her to switch from basketball to the heptathlon.  Kersee threatened to quit his job if the University didn’t allow Jackie to make the switch, which they did. In 1984, her childhood dream of competing in the Olympics came true and she went on to win the Silver in the heptathlon. She also competed in the 1988, 1992, and 1996 Summer Olympics. All told, she dominated the heptathlon and long jump events, winning six awards spanning four Olympic Games. As a result of her great success, she was named the “Greatest female athlete of the 20th Century” by Sports Illustrated.  Prior to her retirement from track and field competitions in 2001, she became the chair and founder of the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation.  The Foundation, dedicated to providing youth, adults, and families with the resources needed to improve their quality of life and enhance their communities opened in 2000 in Jackie’s hometown of East St. Louis, Illinois. Today, it provides services to thousands of families and youth in the St. Louis area.

Among her list of honors (and boy there are many):

Women in Sport Trophy, International Olympic Committee (IOC), 2007

USA Track & Field (USATF) Hall of Fame, 2004

International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame, 1993

Athlete of the Year (first woman chosen for this honor), Sporting News, 1988

Sportswoman of the Year, US Olympic Committee (USOC), 1987

Female Athlete of the Year, Associated Press, 1987

Woman Athlete of the Year, Track & Field News, 1986, 1987, 1994

Broderick Cup (top female collegiate athlete in US), American Athletic Union (AAU), 1984-85

Sources:

http://womenshistory.about.com/od/jackiejoynerkersee/p/joyner_kersee.htm

http://jackiejoynerkersee.com/

http://www.usatf.org/halloffame/TF/showBio.asp?HOFIDs=201

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Woman of the Day: Jackie Joyner-Kersee
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