The Tornado the blew away Polio

By Bob Cox

The world’s fastest woman got off to a slow and shaky start in life. Born prematurely on June 23, 1940, in St. Bethlehem, Tennessee, the frail baby girl weighed in at a meager 4.5 pounds. At the age of four, she was diagnosed with infantile paralysis, which was caused by the polio virus. For the next five years, she wore a brace on her left leg and foot and was required to wear an orthopedic shoe for support of her foot for two more years. Her family traveled regularly from Clarksville, Tennessee, to Nashville, Tennessee, for treatments. Before she reached her teens, she had also survived bouts of polio and scarlet fever. The girl’s name was Wilma Glodean Rudolph.

Her entire childhood was extremely difficult for the girl who, later in life would be called The Tornado. “I grew up a lot different from most kids. I grew up with childhood illnesses. I wore braces until I was nine years old. I think the most difficult moment growing up was being teased by my peers and not being accepted to play and do all the things that one wants to do growing up,” said Rudolph.

With sheer determination and years of physical therapy, she was able to overcome the disease and conquer all those physical disabilities. At the age of 12, she finally achieved her dream of shedding her handicap and becoming like other children. “My doctors told me I would never walk again. My mother told me I would. I believed my mother,” explained Rudolph.

Growing up in the segregated south, Rudolph attended the all-black Burt High School. Her older sister was on the girls basketball team, and Wilma wanted to follow her footsteps. During her teenage years, she grew very tall, to a height of 5’11 and became a basketball star, setting state records for scoring and leading her team to the state championship.

When Tennessee State University track coach Ed Temple saw the tenth grader for the first time, he knew he had found a phenominal athlete. Being discovered by Temple was the major break for the talented young athlete who worked hard to achieve a new dream: To become the most famous woman runner in the world.

While attending Burt High School, Rudolph also joined Temple's summer program at Tennessee State and trained regularly for two years. At just 16 years old, Rudoph won a bronze medal in the 1956 Olympics in Melborne, Australia and four years later set new records in the 100 meter dash, 200 meter dash and won the 400 meter relay in the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Italy. She became the first American woman to win three gold medals in Olympic track and field competition. Her triumph was called a miracle and she was hailed throughout the world as "the fastest woman in history".

Rudolph was also regarded as a civil rights and women's rights pioneer. Along with a few other 1960 Olympic athletes, Rudolph became an international star due to the first television coverage of the Olympics that year. When Rudolph returned home to Clarksville, her homecoming parade and banquet were the first fully integrated municipal events in the city's history.

Rudolph retired from track competition in 1962 after winning two races at a U.S.–Soviet meet. In 1963, she earned a bachelor's degree at Tennessee State University and went on to work as a teacher at Cobb Elementary School, coached track at Burt High School and became a sports commentator on national television.