Wilma Rudolph was born into a poor home in Tennessee. At age four, she had double pneumonia with scarlet fever, a deadly combination, which left her paralysed with polio. She had to wear a brace and the doctor said she would never put her foot on the earth.
DREAM
But her mother encouraged her; she told Wilma that with God-given ability, persistence and faith she could do anything she wanted. Wilma said, “ I want to be the fastest women on the track on this earth.” At the age of nine, against the advice of doctors, she removed the brace and took the first step the doctors had said she never would. At the age of 13, she entered her first race and came way, way last. And then she entered her second, and third and fourth and came way, way last until a day came when she came in first.
HARD WORK
At the age of 15 she went to Tennessee State University where she met coach by name Ed Temple. She told him,” I want to be the fastest women on the track on this earth.” Temple said, “ with your spirit nobody can stop you and besides, I will help you.”
REALIZATION OF DREAM
The day came when she was at the Olympics and at the Olympics you are matched with the best of the best. Wilma was matched against a woman named Jutta Heine who had never been beaten.
The first event was the 100 – meter race. Wilma beat Jutta Heine and won her first gold medal.
The second event was the 200-meter race and Wilma beat Jutta a second time and won her second gold medal.
ALWAYS KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE GOAL
The third event was the 400-meter relay and she was racing against Jutta one more time. In the relay, the fastest person always runs the last lap and they both anchored their teams. The first three people ran and changed the baton easily. When it came to Wilma’s turn, she dropped the baton. But Wilma saw Jutta shoot up at the other end; she picked the baton, ran like a machine, beat Jutta a third time and won her third gold medal. It became history: that *(a person with paralysis) women become the fastest women on the earth at the 1960 Rome Olympics.
This story teaches us that successful people do it in spite of, not in absence of, problems.
Conclusion
At the beginning, everything appears to be impossible, but those who are dare enough and bold enough to take that first step, they have done well in their career as well as in life. It is very easy to blame external factors. I can only say, live your life, as if it is your last day and work or do things, in a manner as if the whole world is watching you.
* (edited from the original word “paralytic”)
Further reading
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilma_Rudolph
https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/wilma-rudolph
https://usopm.org/wilma-rudolph/
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