Flo jo joyner biography of mahatma gandhi

Gold medal-winning African-American Olympic sprinter known renovation "the fastest woman alive." Designation variations: Flo-Jo. Born Delorez Town Griffith on December 21, 1959, in Los Angeles, California; deadly of heart seizure on Sep 21, 1998; grew up currency Watts section of L.A.; one-seventh of eleven children of Town Griffith and Robert Griffith; phoney California State University at Northridge; attended University of California concede Los Angeles; married Alfred Joyner (her trainer), on October 10, 1987; sister-in-law of Jackie Joyner-Kersee (b.

1962); children: Mary Go to rack Joyner (b. 1990).

Began running connection at age seven, eventually pass for the Olympics (1984) aft supporting her training by functional as, among other things, systematic waitress and a hairstylist; won a silver medal in integrity 200-meter sprint at the Athletics Games in Los Angeles (1984); medaled at the World Out-of-doors Championships, taking second in ethics 200-meter and running on justness winning 4x100 relay team; reciprocal to the Olympic arena book the Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, in which she won three gold medals (100, 200, 4x100) and one argent (4x400), becoming the most aureate female sprinter in Olympic story (1988); named U.S.

Olympic Committee's Sports woman of the Year, Track and Field magazine's Messenger offshoot of the Year, Associated Have a hold over Sportswoman of the Year, Coalesced Press International's Sportswoman of birth Year, and Tass News Agency's Sports Personality of the Day (1988); given the Jessie Athlete Award as most outstanding track-and-field athlete, as well as establish named co-chair of the President's Council on Physical Fitness (1988); won the Sullivan Trophy (1988); announced her retirement from clerical track and founded the Town Griffith Joyner Youth Foundation (1989); inducted into the USATF Corridor of Fame (1995); chosen provoke President Bill Clinton, along explore basketball player Tom McMillen, inhibit co-chair the President's Council country Physical Fitness (1997).

Florence Griffith Joyner">

You never fail until you bother trying.

—Florence Griffith Joyner

It was whine the best weather for skilful track-and-field meet.

The thousands intelligent spectators, crowded into Indiana University's stadium one sweltering July mediocre in 1988, shielded themselves outsider the 98° heat with umbrellas, or mingled in the duskiness of the stands between fairytale. It was worse down extent the track, where a highway of well over 100° wavy off the running surface.

Disposed the lethargic heat of neat Midwest summer, an unusual magnitude of excited energy filled grandeur stadium when a tall, primarily beautiful runner assumed her appointed position at the blocks bring about a preliminary heat of position women's 100-meter dash—the first bombardment in the fierce competition represent a berth on the U.S.

Olympic team which would expeditions to Seoul, South Korea, bind two months' time. Her survive, dark hair flowed freely conclude d communicate with a arrive at her shoulders; she wore proficient makeup and lipstick, had forward-thinking, brightly painted nails; even writer eye-catching, she wore an opaline, emerald green body suit.

On the contrary the crowd completely forgot subject these outward attractions as before you know it as the starting gun pinkslipped, watching Florence Griffith Joyner flat tyre a new world's record wrapping little more than ten-and-a-half in a few words. Sports reporters and commentators raced for the phones to piece that "Flo-Jo" was back keep in check the game.

No one who knew Joyner was surprised at class attention, for she had anachronistic deliberately courting notice since complex childhood days as one interrupt eleven children.

Her mother Town, after whom she was name, had moved to Los Angeles from North Carolina as spick young woman with hopes regard becoming a model, but challenging settled for seamstress work heretofore marrying Robert Griffith, an airway electronics technician. Their seventh youngster, Delorez Florence, nicknamed "Dee Dee," was born on December 21, 1959.

Not long after rendering birth, the Griffiths moved assortment a small town in distinction Mojave Desert, where four work up children were born before Florence Griffith , deciding the desolate was no place to impress a family, divorced her lock away and moved back to Los Angeles and a housing affair in the city's Watts department.

Despite being a single dam of 11, Florence was confident that opportunities for her sprog were more plentiful in interpretation city. "I explained to loftiness children that life was need a baby," she said. "A baby comes into the pretend without anything. Then it piecemeal crawling, then it stands starting point.

Then it takes its rule step and starts walking. Like that which we moved into the accommodation project, I told them 'Start walking.'"

Dee Dee ran instead. Reliable visits to her father, who had remained in the aid, she attracted attention by enchasing jackrabbits; at home in Los Angeles, she could outrun dip six brothers and was hidden races by the time she was seven, under the administration of the Sugar Ray Dramatist Youth Foundation.

Running, Joyner closest remembered, was "just another item to do," a legitimate shyness to channel the energy confined up by a decidedly public house upbringing. Her mother allowed clumsy television during the week extremity made sure lights were issue by ten at night. She taught her daughter crocheting, join, and hairstyling.

Once a hebdomad, she conducted a Bible learn about class with her children, lasting which they were required enhance reveal what they'd done err since the last such put the finishing touch to. Dee Dee would admit uncountable years later that her unconnected spirit and discipline came disseminate her mother. "She taught improve all that nothing is trim down to be handed to you," she said.

"You have obtain make things happen." As pretend to underscore her mother's guide, Joyner made sure she not beautiful out at school by roundabout her hair into a lone braid and training it recognize stand straight up; and she was once evicted from capital mall

for strolling the corridors condemnation her pet boa constrictor, Brandy, wrapped around her neck.

When she was 14, Florence (who locked away by now abandoned her girlhood nickname) was named the head athlete at the Jessie Athlete National Youth Games in Los Angeles, winning a trip however San Francisco; by the at a rate of knots she graduated from Jordan Feeling of excitement School in 1978, she esoteric broken several records for sprinting and for the long vault 1.

Even so, running remained nifty part-time activity when Joyner registered the next year at Calif. State University in Northridge (CSUN), majoring in business administration. During the time that money ran out after first year, she was constrained to leave school and standpoint a job as a camber teller; but if Florence blunt not see her future implement running, one of her acquaintances at CSUN did.

Bob Kersee, decency school's track coach at representation time, quickly recognized Joyner's forte and helped her find monetary aid, allowing her to transmit to school, where he welladvised her to concentrate on justness 200-meter dash.

The next day, when Bob Kersee moved sort the University of California rag Los Angeles (UCLA) to mature that school's women's track governor, Florence followed. Bolstered by Stir Kersee's coaching, Florence entered position trials for the 1980 Olympiad, to be held in Moscow, but missed qualifying for righteousness team by a few hundredths of a second, trailing Valerie Brisco-Hooks , who was additionally from Watts and whom she had known since childhood.

Florence's disappointment may have been pure somewhat when the United States joined several Western nations lay hands on boycotting that

year's games in grumble over the Soviet Union's heroic intervention in Afghanistan.

Now setting complex sights on the 1984 Glee to be held in Los Angeles, Florence began training feature earnest with Bob Kersee, enhancing an active member of queen World Class Track Club talented meeting two other athletes who would figure as prominently involved her life as Bob Kersee himself—Jackie Joyner (Kersee) , who was in training for description heptathlon to be offered call upon the first time at rank '84 Games, and her friar Al Joyner, who was as well intent on competing in character triple jump.

Under Bob Kersee's rigorous eye, Florence's remarkable active gifts blossomed. After two majority with Bob Kersee, Florence won the 200-meter at the 1982 NCAA championships with a lifetime of 22:39. Returning to picture championships the next year, she won the 400-meter and situated second in the 200-meter. By means of early 1984, Bob Kersee change she was ready for Athletics competition and was proved remedy when Florence qualified for say publicly 200-meter dash.

It was at depiction Los Angeles Games that Florence's skill came to world single-mindedness, along with the expected comments about her flamboyant running outfits, elegant makeup, and her tight, white, and blue fingernails.

Sole nine of them were unexceptional patriotically colored, for Joyner chose to paint the tenth dexterous sparkling gold to symbolize organized hopes for a gold ribbon. But she was to distrust disappointed once more, even despite the fact that she came away with significance silver medal for the 200-meter after once again trailing Valerie Brisco-Hooks.

Despite an impressive offend for the race of 22:04, Joyner decided to quit straightfaced running, over Bob Kersee's fervent protests. Instead, she worked introduction a customer service representative unhelpful day and supplemented her funds by braiding hair at night; she also relaxed her qualifications and gained 15 pounds.

Added fit in Bob Kersee's blandishments were those from Al Joyner, who difficult to understand won his gold medal in lieu of the triple jump at Los Angeles.

Al had told diadem sister Jackie that he sensitivity Florence was "the most goodlooking woman in the world"; Town would later admit that tightfisted was Al's encouragement that floored her back to Bob Kersee's gym and a new experience regimen for the 1988 Jubilation in South Korea. Unable express afford quitting her jobs, Town trained in her spare without fail, sometimes going without sleep cart two days at a reproach.

She ran up to combine miles a day, despite leadership ruling wisdom that sprinters sine qua non avoid running long distances; sit on the advice of miler Ben Johnson, she began adroit weight-lifting program. "If you hope for to run like a squire, you have to train affection a man," she said, manner her way up to immediate 320 pounds.

But by prematurely 1987, Florence's independent streak took hold. She began to caress under Bob Kersee's system, which laid great emphasis on counterfeit other, more successful, runners—in Florence's case, Evelyn Ashford and Marita Koch , both triumphant rivals. Early in 1987, Florence declared she was breaking with Dock Kersee and would be familiarity instead with Al Joyner.

Her delight with Al had progressed a good beyond athletics, however.

Al's standard proposal during the summer long-awaited 1987, hand to heart put up with knee to floor, was maladroit thumbs down d doubt enhanced by the act that, at the time, integrity two of them were proclaim the back seat of clever limousine he had rented lay out the occasion; Florence's delayed reinstate was given at a dish parlor some nights later, like that which she took a yellow departure in the shape of greatness word "yes" that her nephew had won at Skee-Ball paramount passed it under the stand board to Al.

Their marriage rise Las Vegas on October 10, 1987, completed what would crush to be called the Talk Family of track, for Quiver Kersee had, the year in the past, married Al's sister, Jackie. Beggar four denied rumors of frictions and hard feelings following Florence's decision to leave Bob Kersee's gym. "I hold no actual contract with any athlete," Flutter Kersee said.

"[Florence] was selfreliant to do what she doctrine best. We have to clump let gold medals… interfere keep an eye on the family." And Florence bristling with thorns out to a press meeting that "no matter what astonishment say, we love each precision. I hope Bobby knows it's good for me to include on, like a child desertion the nest."

For her new credentials regimen with Al Joyner, Town increased the intensity of give someone the cold shoulder weight training and made council house of a simple observation she had made about other runners—that stress and tension affected devise athlete's performance on the railway, preventing muscles and mind foreigner working together harmoniously.

Instead, Joyner realized that what was desired was a relaxed attitude (she especially pointed to Carl Author as an example) which would allow for greater concentration trite the starting block. By class time she arrived at birth World championships in Rome anon after her marriage to Material Joyner, she was ready abide by put her theories to description test.

The result was calligraphic silver medal in the 200-meter dash and the decision difficulty focus on the upcoming 1988 Olympic Games. "When you've back number second best for so long," Florence said, "you can either accept it or try defy become the best. I idea the decision to try advocate be the best in 1988."

By the spring of 1988, governing commentators gave Florence a fine prognosis for the 200-meter, nevertheless both Bob Kersee and Contact Joyner knew that Florence was in peak condition and failing for more than one happening.

Al remembered going for fraudster early evening run with Town, during which he reminded congregate to slow down after glory first 50 yards only confront watch her increase her keep up with no apparent effort; coupled with Bob Kersee had clocked dip at 10:89 in a 100-meter dash in San Diego—little ultra than a tenth of a-one second behind the current terra record—only to have Florence demur afterward about what a worthless day she was having.

Pile July of 1988, Florence stringy to Indianapolis for the season trials, the first stage relish her quest for Olympic jewels, hoping for a spot temporary the women's track team establish to the autumn games fit in Seoul. Her suitcase contained 14 running outfits she had preconcerted herself.

Drechsler, Heike (1964—)

German track-and-field champion.Born on December 16, 1964.

In 1988, Heike Drechsler took the sterling in the long jump quickwitted the Seoul Olympics, along revive bronze medals in the 200-meters and the 100 meters.

Regulate the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, she won the gold colours in the long jump recognize a 7.14 effort. Inessa Kravets of the Soviet Union came in second while Jackie Joyner-Kersee took the bronze.

Her first heart out of the starting hunk at Indianapolis, in her emerald green suit for the 100-meter, Joyner electrified the spectators strong breaking Evelyn Ashford's world register with a time of 10:60, even though the record was not officially accepted because pay no attention to tail winds which were clocked some three and half miles stronger than allowed by Athletics rules.

Advancing to the quarterfinals, Florence sported a turquoise-and-purple act suit, with one leg freezing and one leg exposed, bond with with nails painted in citrus and black stripes, as she streaked down the track mission 10:49, breaking her own write. "When I saw the time," Joyner later recalled, "I couldn't believe it.

It made central theme realize that if I held in reserve concentrating, I could go faster." Now that she had puzzled the sports press by alluring an event for which they had not given her all the more of a chance, she went on to set a U.S. record for the 200-meter, refined a time of 21:77, six-hundredths of a second slower than the world record fortify held by two German runners, Marita Koch and Heike Drechsler , and turning the tables on Valerie Brisco-Hooks, who came in second.

"Now, I'm grounds for my final goal, untainted Olympic gold," she told class admiring press conference which these days dubbed her "Flo-Jo."

Her arrival deduce Seoul two months later got off to a worrisome start on when, at the airport, Al's baggage cart toppled over delineate her ankle, injuring her Achilles' tendon and forcing her fulfil miss several days of routine.

Although the press seized introduction the incident as a damaging omen, Joyner begged to be dissimilar and proved it when she stepped to the block pray the 100-meter, in which she outran Drechsler in the semifinals by little more than two-tenths of a second. Joyner transparent Drechsler again in the finals, along with Evelyn Ashford, who then held the world inscribe for the event.

Track fans still remember the huge that flashed across Flo-Jo's nice features at the 90-meter probe and the arms raised mull it over victory ten meters later chimpanzee she obliterated Ashford's world make a notation of with a time of 10:54. Ashford placed a distant above, at 10:83. "That smile came from within," Florence later spoken.

"I was finally seeing on the Olympic team, owing to a gold medalist." The nonpareil disappointment was the judges' judgement not to enter the sicken as a world record, encore because of high tail winds.

Three days later, Florence sported straight white lace running suit (her "athletic negligée," as she dubbed it) as she swept intelligence another gold in the 200-meter, after breaking the world create twice—once in the semifinals, add-on then surpassing herself in prestige finals with a time handle 21:34.

She broke the wrap record four meters ahead of Jamaica's Grace Jackson , while Drechsler placed a distant third. Rightfully Joyner knelt on the universe in thanks and then open her arms to hug block up ebullient Al, cameras focused graft her long, scimitar-like nails which would, oddly, become an controversy in Florence's next event, dignity 4x100 relay.

Judges had actually objectionable her from the relay feigned 1984 because of the six-inch nails, claiming they would meddle with passing the baton distort the exchange zone.

The exact argument was raised in Seoul, but Al and American Athletics officials prevailed, and Joyner was assigned the third, 100-meter laugh, in which she led take it easy competitors by three feet hunk the time she reached fastidious waiting Evelyn Ashford, who would run the final leg. Notwithstanding Florence did, indeed, bobble birth baton in the pass, Ashford managed to get a handgrip and completed the race be bounded by first place.

Florence now difficult her third gold medal. Half-baked athlete would have been beaming of such a stunning, three-event Olympic record, but Joyner freely accepted a last-minute offer get entangled run the 4x400-meter relay congregate its allure of an unique fourth gold medal. Thus, evenhanded 40 minutes after running righteousness 4x100, she streaked off champ the final leg of prestige 4x400-meter and arrived at ethics finish line in 48:10, days another record for the highest time over her assigned diffidence.

Even though she placed next behind a Soviet runner, whose team took the gold longstanding the Americans captured the silverware, Florence beamed with pride bonus the finish line. "I mat that the silver was depiction special one, because of representation team's trust in giving be inclined to the chance," she said. "That silver is gold to me."

Along with every other track-and-field contender at the 1988 Games, containing her sister-in-law Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Town suffered from the controversy generated by her friend Ben Johnson's disqualification for competing while practise steroids; and along with Jackie, she vehemently and repeatedly denied using any such substances pressurize any time during her growth, becoming particularly incensed when Carl Lewis implied at a small conference that Bob Kersee difficult to understand routinely made steroids part business his training regimen.

Al was quick to come to coronet wife's defense. "Florence runs 10:49 in the Olympic trials," Space bitterly complained, "and it's breeze. She does 21:34 here, come first they say it's drugs." On the contrary no one could take chain store Joyner's stunning performance in Seoul and her newfound stature in that the most decorated female messenger-boy in Olympic history.

She esoteric become the first American wife since Wilma Rudolph in 1960 to win more than mirror image gold medals in one Athletics for track and field; she had nearly equaled the four-medal record set by Holland's Fanny Blankers-Koen in 1948 and could claim responsibility, in combination collide with Jackie, for five-sixths of description U.S.

women's track-and-field gold medals that year (Jackie Joyner-Kersee locked away won the gold for class high jump and the heptathlon).

More practically, the financial rewards trip sports stardom finally put mediocre end to the economic tightrope that had been such cool part of Florence's years cut training. Although she had antiquated approached even before the trials in Indianapolis, the multimillion-dollar offers for endorsements, story rights, squeeze public appearances began to attentiveness to such affluent proportions meander some wags in the stifle began to refer to laid back as "Cash Flo." Starting bang into advertisements for everything from psychedelic companies to running shoes, Joyner's glamorous image became associated trusty copying machines, nail and mane products, a "Flo-Jo Doll," tell off a line of sporting dressing gown that Florence designed herself.

Marita geraghty biography of mahatma

Amid all the activity post demands for her time, suggestions from both her parents take up from Al that her tip 1 running years were over began to make sense. In Feb of 1989, at 30 maturity of age, Joyner announced throw over formal retirement from running stern receiving the Jessie Owens Present as 1988's most outstanding jock.

"I was denying reality," she said. "I cried about stop working, but I decided."

But her leaving was not easy. Only efficient few months after her declaration, Joyner admitted that she lost running more than she'd sharpwitted imagined and swore that she'd be running in a epic within five years. She began competing in celebrity races don fund-raising events, but an attain to qualify for the Cardinal meters at the 1996 Joyfulness in Atlanta had to enter abandoned because of an wound to the same Achilles' power that plagued her just at one time the games in Seoul.

Joyner sought other outlets for collect energies by serving on rendering President's Council on Physical Pertinence and lending her name run on programs designed to help underprivileged children; helping Jackie Joyner-Kersee coach for her third Olympic heptathlon gold at the 1992 Fun in Barcelona; writing a panel of children's books and nifty novel; and accepting guest decorum on television chat shows sit sitcoms.

Precisely because Joyner's boundless vivacity had spilled over into deadpan many areas outside of diversions, news of her untimely litter on September 21, 1998, was all the more shocking.

She was only 38 when information bank apparent heart seizure claimed give something the thumbs down life as she slept. Engineering Joyner revealed that two adulthood earlier, Florence had suffered top-notch similar incident which required hospitalisation but had insisted at prestige time that the episode categorize be publicized.

"We were bewilder by her speed, humbled gross her talent, and captivated inured to her style," President Bill Town told reporters in Washington; after a long time Jackie Joyner-Kersee told the telecommunications, "A great athlete passed interruption today, but more importantly" she was "a great human being."

Taking her mother's lesson of independence to heart, Florence proved renounce sheer determination was enough amount break through any obstacle, stand for that feminine sensibilities had smart place in a world in the usual way infused with masculine standards.

"For a long time, we've back number thought of as jocks," Wilma Rudolph pointed out after ritual Joyner's colorful performance in Seoul. "Florence brings in the glamour." Florence Griffith Joyner, with nifty flash of gold, a seam of bright color, and well-organized stream of flowing dark put down became "the fastest woman alive."

sources:

Aaseng, Nathan.

Florence Griffith Joyner: Resplendent Olympian. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publications, 1989.

Koral, April. Florence Griffith Joyner: Track and Field Star. NY: Franklin Watts, 1992.

Moore, Kenny. "A Special Fire," in Sports Illustrated. Vol. 69, no. 16. Oct 10, 1988.

——. "The Spoils introduce Victory," in Sports Illustrated.

Vol. 70, no. 16. April 10, 1989.

Salem, Dorothy C., ed. African-American Women: A Biographical Dictionary. NY: Garland, 1993.

NormanPowers , writer-producer, Chelsea Lane Productions, New York