Person · 1940–1994
Wilma Rudolph
The sprinter who overcame childhood polio to become the first American woman to win three track golds at a single Olympics (1960).
A trailblazer of [[black-sports]].
Told she might never walk again, Wilma Rudolph became the fastest woman in the world. Her 1960 Rome triumph made her an international star and an inspiration, and she used her fame to push for desegregation in her Tennessee hometown.