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JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE
Jacqueline “Jackie” Joyner-Kersee, the second of four children, was born on March 3, 1962 in East St. Louis, Illinois. Her family provided her with an abundance of love and support, which overshadowed their lack of material possessions. Joyner-Kersee soared with her unshakable faith and God-given talent. At Lincoln Senior High School, basketball and track elevated her awareness of what she could accomplish.
Dedication and skill earned her a basketball scholarship to the University of California Los Angeles where she excelled academically and distinguished herself in track and field—most notably in the events of the long jump and heptathlon. During her collegiate career, Joyner-Kersee was the most dominate American figure in the long jump and heptathlon. In 1985, she graduated in the top 10 percent of her class with a BA in history from UCLA —what she calls her greatest off-field accomplishment.
On the track, she continued to amaze sports aficionados after placing second in the heptathlon at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Joyner-Kersee has built one of the most illustrious athletic careers ever, earning the title “World’s Greatest Female Athlete.” As a six-time Olympic medalist with three gold medals, one silver, and two bronze, a world and Olympic recorder holder in the heptathlon, an American record holder in the long jump, and 50 & 60 meter hurdles, she continued to live up to her title.
Following her triumphant performance at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, she continued to amaze fans by participating in the inaugural season with the Richmond Rage for the American Basketball League (ABL). Her inspirational endeavors inspired former Rage teammate, Dawn Staley, to share how Joyner-Kersee is her idol at the 1998 Women’s Sports Foundation annual dinner.
What has truly earned her the respect and admiration of her peers and fans alike has not merely been her success as an athlete. As she says, “I strive to be a Jackie of all trades. I am an individual who has accomplished a great deal through athletics.” She is most proud of her achievements off the track. As a way to give back to the community that has supported her, she started JJK Community Foundation in 1988, which fosters the development of leadership programs in urban areas across the United States.
Now known as the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Youth Center Foundation, this community haven will be housed in her hometown with efforts she has spearheaded. She says of her community center, “When I leave this earth, I want to know I’ve created something that will help others.” Many of those whom she has helped continuously recognize her tireless commitment.
Among numerous awards, Joyner-Kersee was the first woman to receive the St. Louis Ambassadors Sportswoman of the Year Award and the Sporting News Athlete of the Year Award. She was also honored with the Sullivan Award, and the Jesse Owens Memorial Award, which she won two years in a row. Spelman College and other outstanding colleges and universities have also recognized her dedication and commitment with Honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters and Law.
She carries her holistic outlook and gracious demeanor to the track, the community and the boardroom. Because of that coalition of traits, she was appointed chairperson of the St. Louis Sports Commission, a position for which she holds many firsts. She is the first female, first African-American, first Illinois native and the first active athlete to have been awarded this title. As Chair, Joyner-Kersee is able to apply her years of international sports experience to the task of adding new chapters to the St. Louis region’s rich sports history.
She applies this same passion, energy and fervent optimism to everything she does. In addition to her foundation work, she is a dynamic motivational speaker. Educational, cultural, civic and corporate groups solicit her positive and inspirational messages for various audiences. As a businesswoman and entrepreneur, she heads Elite International Sports Marketing, Inc. and is registered as a licensed NBA and NFL agent. She also authored the poignant, honest autobiography, A Kind of Grace: The Autobiography of the World’s Greatest Female Athlete.
In July of 1998, she completed the final chapter of her amazing athletic career. At the Goodwill Games in New York, she captured her fourth Goodwill Games heptathlon victory, proving she is indeed the “World’s Greatest Female Athlete.” But, it was her last competition at the U.S. Open – Farewell to Jackie Joyner-Kersee at Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville that left her fans and loved ones with the image of a triumphant heroine as she proved that you do not always have to win to be a winner.
She is a role model for adults and youth alike. Ask her what her limits are, and she will say she has none. As she often tells audiences during her motivational speeches, “The only person who can stop you from reaching your goals is you!”
