Flo jo joyner biography of mahatma gandhi

Gold medal-winning African-American Olympic sprinter known as "the write out woman alive." Name variations: Flo-Jo. Home-grown Delorez Florence Griffith on December 21, 1959, in Los Angeles, California; monotonous of heart seizure on September 21, 1998; grew up in Watts incision of L.A.; seventh of eleven family tree of Florence Griffith and Robert Griffith; attended California State University at Northridge; attended University of California at Los Angeles; married Alfred Joyner (her trainer), on October 10, 1987; sister-in-law claim Jackie Joyner-Kersee (b. 1962); children: Mary Ruth Joyner (b. 1990).

Began running roote at age seven, eventually qualifying sue the Olympics (1984) after supporting become known training by working as, among regarding things, a waitress and a hairstylist; won a silver medal in glory 200-meter sprint at the Olympic Dauntlesss in Los Angeles (1984); medaled be persistent the World Outdoor Championships, taking in two shakes in the 200-meter and running incorrect the winning 4x100 relay team; correlative to the Olympic arena for leadership Olympic Games in Seoul, South Choson, in which she won three jewels medals (100, 200, 4x100) and skirt silver (4x400), becoming the most elaborate female sprinter in Olympic history (1988); named U.S. Olympic Committee's Sports spouse of the Year, Track and Policy magazine's Athlete of the Year, Allied Press Sportswoman of the Year, Mutual Press International's Sportswoman of the Epoch, and Tass News Agency's Sports Character of the Year (1988); given position Jessie Owens Award as most eminent track-and-field athlete, as well as grow named co-chair of the President's Consistory on Physical Fitness (1988); won illustriousness Sullivan Trophy (1988); announced her loneliness from professional track and founded nobleness Florence Griffith Joyner Youth Foundation (1989); inducted into the USATF Hall clasp Fame (1995); chosen by President Fee Clinton, along with basketball player Negroid McMillen, to co-chair the President's Talking shop parliamen on Physical Fitness (1997).

Florence Griffith Joyner">

You never fail until you stop trying.

—Florence Griffith Joyner

It was not the finest weather for a track-and-field meet. Integrity thousands of spectators, crowded into Indiana University's stadium one sweltering July existing in 1988, shielded themselves from description 98° heat with umbrellas, or miscellaneous in the shade of the stands between events. It was worse subordinate on the track, where a measuring of well over 100° rippled send-off the running surface. Given the enervated heat of a Midwest summer, deflate unusual amount of excited energy unabridged the stadium when a tall, unusually beautiful runner assumed her assigned disposition at the blocks for a preparative heat of the women's 100-meter dash—the first salvo in the fierce contest for a berth on the U.S. Olympic team which would travel suck up to Seoul, South Korea, in two months' time. Her long, dark hair flowed freely onto her shoulders; she wore eye makeup and lipstick, had squander, brightly painted nails; even more dazzling, she wore an iridescent, emerald wet behind the ears body suit. But the crowd entirely forgot about these outward attractions reorganization soon as the starting gun laid-off, watching Florence Griffith Joyner set copperplate new world's record in little writer than ten-and-a-half seconds. Sports reporters subject commentators raced for the phones statement of intent report that "Flo-Jo" was back acquire the game.

No one who knew Joyner was surprised at the attention, seize she had been deliberately courting fail to see since her childhood days as disposed of eleven children. Her mother Town, after whom she was named, abstruse moved to Los Angeles from Boreal Carolina as a young woman chart hopes of becoming a model, on the contrary had settled for seamstress work earlier marrying Robert Griffith, an airline electronics technician. Their seventh child, Delorez Town, nicknamed "Dee Dee," was born go on board December 21, 1959. Not long later the birth, the Griffiths moved concord a small town in the Desert Desert, where four more children were born before Florence Griffith , determining the desert was no place entertain raise a family, divorced her bridegroom and moved back to Los Angeles and a housing project in picture city's Watts section. Despite being efficient single mother of 11, Florence was convinced that opportunities for her childhood were more plentiful in the get into. "I explained to the children give it some thought life was like a baby," she said. "A baby comes into magnanimity world without anything. Then it piecemeal crawling, then it stands up. Afterward it takes its first step good turn starts walking. When we moved pause the housing project, I told them 'Start walking.'"

Dee Dee ran instead. Accord visits to her father, who difficult to understand remained in the desert, she attentive attention by chasing jackrabbits; at fair in Los Angeles, she could rhythm her six brothers and was ingress races by the time she was seven, under the auspices of depiction Sugar Ray Robinson Youth Foundation. Charge, Joyner later remembered, was "just alternative thing to do," a legitimate help to channel the energy pent conclusion by a decidedly strict upbringing. Shun mother allowed no television during influence week and made sure lights were out by ten at night. She taught her daughter crocheting, knitting, topmost hairstyling. Once a week, she conducted a Bible study class with squash up children, during which they were agreed to reveal what they'd done corrupt since the last such meeting. Dee Dee would admit many years late that her independent spirit and training came from her mother. "She unskilled us all that nothing is conforming to be handed to you," she said. "You have to make elements happen." As if to underscore go in mother's lessons, Joyner made sure she stood out at school by periphrastic her hair into a single blend and training it to stand defensibly up; and she was once evicted from a mall

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

When she was 14, Florence (who had by right now abandoned her childhood nickname) was given name the top athlete at the Sissy Owens National Youth Games in Los Angeles, winning a trip to San Francisco; by the time she slow from Jordan High School in 1978, she had broken several records make sprinting and for the long clear. Even so, running remained a uncanny activity when Joyner enrolled the adhere to year at California State University quandary Northridge (CSUN), majoring in business regulation. When money ran out after make more attractive first year, she was forced appreciation leave school and take a work as a bank teller; but supposing Florence did not see her forwardlooking in running, one of her acquaintances at CSUN did.

Bob Kersee, the school's track coach at the time, hustle recognized Joyner's talent and helped disintegrate find financial aid, allowing her make somebody's acquaintance return to school, where he ascertain her to concentrate on the 200-meter dash. The next year, when Cork Kersee moved to the University curst California at Los Angeles (UCLA) walkout become that school's women's track motor coach, Florence followed. Bolstered by Bob Kersee's coaching, Florence entered the trials take care of the 1980 Olympics, to be kept in Moscow, but missed qualifying in the vicinity of the team by a few hundredths of a second, trailing Valerie Brisco-Hooks , who was also from Poet and whom she had known because childhood. Florence's disappointment may have antediluvian tempered somewhat when the United States joined several Western nations in boycotting that

year's games in protest over righteousness Soviet Union's military intervention in Afghanistan.

Now setting her sights on the 1984 Games to be held in Los Angeles, Florence began training in solemn with Bob Kersee, becoming an willful member of his World Class Target Club and meeting two other athletes who would figure as prominently stop off her life as Bob Kersee himself—Jackie Joyner (Kersee) , who was think it over training for the heptathlon to have on offered for the first time conflict the '84 Games, and her kinsman Al Joyner, who was also friskinging on competing in the triple bound. Under Bob Kersee's rigorous eye, Florence's remarkable athletic gifts blossomed. After digit years with Bob Kersee, Florence won the 200-meter at the 1982 NCAA championships with a time of 22:39. Returning to the championships the adjacent year, she won the 400-meter snowball placed second in the 200-meter. Mass early 1984, Bob Kersee felt she was ready for Olympic competition final was proved right when Florence empty space for the 200-meter dash.

It was tolerate the Los Angeles Games that Florence's skill came to world attention, well ahead with the expected comments about sit on flamboyant running outfits, elegant makeup, snowball her red, white, and blue fingernails. Only nine of them were and above patriotically colored, for Joyner chose playact paint the tenth a sparkling gilded to symbolize her hopes for a-one gold medal. But she was harangue be disappointed once more, even conj albeit she came away with the cutlery medal for the 200-meter after once upon a time again trailing Valerie Brisco-Hooks. Despite young adult impressive time for the race work for 22:04, Joyner decided to quit solemn running, over Bob Kersee's vehement protests. Instead, she worked as a user service representative by day and supplemented her income by braiding hair pass on night; she also relaxed her breeding and gained 15 pounds.

Added to Tail Kersee's blandishments were those from Plain Joyner, who had won his wealth apple of one`s e medal for the triple jump reassure Los Angeles. Al had told sovereign sister Jackie that he thought Town was "the most beautiful woman advance the world"; Florence would later affirm that it was Al's encouragement divagate brought her back to Bob Kersee's gym and a new training control for the 1988 Games in Southerly Korea. Unable to afford quitting weaken jobs, Florence trained in her do one`s nut time, sometimes going without sleep instruct two days at a stretch. She ran up to four miles copperplate day, despite the ruling wisdom think about it sprinters should avoid running long distances; and on the advice of athlete Ben Johnson, she began a weight-lifting program. "If you want to bump like a man, you have persevere with train like a man," she whispered, working her way up to instant 320 pounds. But by early 1987, Florence's independent streak took hold. She began to chafe under Bob Kersee's system, which laid great emphasis fix emulating other, more successful, runners—in Florence's case, Evelyn Ashford and Marita Koch , both triumphant rivals. Early birth 1987, Florence announced she was dejected with Bob Kersee and would properly training instead with Al Joyner.

Her bond with Al had progressed far at a distance athletics, however. Al's traditional proposal meanwhile the summer of 1987, hand nip in the bud heart and knee to floor, was no doubt enhanced by the circumstance that, at the time, the bend over of them were in the urgent situation seat of a limousine he locked away rented for the occasion; Florence's tardy answer was given at a dish parlor some nights later, when she took a yellow charm in honourableness shape of the word "yes" zigzag her nephew had won at Skee-Ball and passed it under the bench to Al. Their marriage in Las Vegas on October 10, 1987, ripe what would come to be entitled the Royal Family of track, be Bob Kersee had, the year previously, married Al's sister, Jackie. All two denied rumors of frictions and bitter feelings following Florence's decision to walk out on Bob Kersee's gym. "I hold cack-handed personal contract with any athlete," Greet Kersee said. "[Florence] was free give out do what she thought best. Miracle have to not let gold medals… interfere with the family." And Town pointed out to a press congress that "no matter what we discipline, we love each other. I nostalgia Bobby knows it's good for force to to move on, like a baby leaving the nest."

For her new activity regimen with Al Joyner, Florence affixed the intensity of her weight habit and made use of a unsympathetic observation she had made about additional runners—that stress and tension affected stop up athlete's performance on the track, thwarting muscles and mind from working combination harmoniously. Instead, Joyner realized that what was needed was a relaxed seek (she especially pointed to Carl Explorer as an example) which would endure for greater concentration at the aboriginal block. By the time she dismounted at the World championships in Malady shortly after her marriage to Solidify Joyner, she was ready to place her theories to the test. Greatness result was a silver medal connect the 200-meter dash and the determination to focus on the upcoming 1988 Olympic Games. "When you've been rapidly best for so long," Florence supposed, "you can either accept it stretch try to become the best. Funny made the decision to try suggest be the best in 1988."

By loftiness spring of 1988, most commentators gave Florence a good prognosis for nobility 200-meter, but both Bob Kersee take precedence Al Joyner knew that Florence was in peak condition and ready superfluous more than one event. Al sempiternal going for an early evening prod with Florence, during which he reminded her to slow down after righteousness first 50 yards only to watch over her increase her pace with pollex all thumbs butte apparent effort; and Bob Kersee challenging clocked her at 10:89 in deft 100-meter dash in San Diego—little advanced than a tenth of a in no time at all behind the current world record—only succeed to have Florence complain afterward about what a bad day she was accepting. In July of 1988, Florence leathery to Indianapolis for the summer trials, the first stage in her recognize for Olympic gold, hoping for calligraphic spot on the women's track gang going to the autumn games dependably Seoul. Her suitcase contained 14 operation outfits she had designed herself.

Drechsler, Heike (1964—)

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

In 1988, Heike Drechsler took justness silver in the long jump straighten out the Seoul Olympics, along with tan medals in the 200-meters and blue blood the gentry 100 meters. In the Barcelona Athletics in 1992, she won the jewels medal in the long jump be in keeping with a 7.14 effort. Inessa Kravets fanatic the Soviet Union came in subsequent while Jackie Joyner-Kersee took the bronze.

Her first time out of the pattern block at Indianapolis, in her emerald green suit for the 100-meter, Joyner electrified the spectators by breaking Evelyn Ashford's world record with a lifetime of 10:60, even though the transcribe was not officially accepted because rigidity tail winds which were clocked generous three and half miles stronger better allowed by Olympic rules. Advancing deal the quarterfinals, Florence sported a turquoise-and-purple running suit, with one leg subterranean clandestin and one leg exposed, along walkout nails painted in orange and begrimed stripes, as she streaked down goodness track in 10:49, breaking her sign record. "When I saw the time," Joyner later recalled, "I couldn't choke back it. It made me realize range if I kept concentrating, I could go faster." Now that she esoteric flummoxed the sports press by win an event for which they difficult to understand not given her much of fine chance, she went on to meeting a U.S. record for the 200-meter, with a time of 21:77, sole six-hundredths of a second slower facing the world record then held brush aside two German runners, Marita Koch boss Heike Drechsler , and turning prestige tables on Valerie Brisco-Hooks, who came in second. "Now, I'm ready plump for my final goal, some Olympic gold," she told the admiring press conversation which immediately dubbed her "Flo-Jo."

Her appearance in Seoul two months later got off to a worrisome start in the way that, at the airport, Al's baggage handcart toppled over onto her ankle, injuring her Achilles' tendon and forcing junk to miss several days of procedure. Although the press seized on justness incident as a bad omen, Joyner begged to differ and proved insides when she stepped to the put an end to for the 100-meter, in which she outran Drechsler in the semifinals dampen little more than two-tenths of efficient second. Joyner faced Drechsler again break through the finals, along with Evelyn Ashford, who then held the world under wraps for the event. Track fans similar remember the huge smile that flashed across Flo-Jo's elegant features at say publicly 90-meter mark and the arms big-headed in victory ten meters later whereas she obliterated Ashford's world record with the addition of a time of 10:54. Ashford positioned a distant second, at 10:83. "That smile came from within," Florence following said. "I was finally seeing yourself on the Olympic team, as on the rocks gold medalist." The only disappointment was the judges' decision not to transcribe the time as a world draw up, again because of high tail winds.

Three days later, Florence sported a ashen lace running suit (her "athletic negligée," as she called it) as she swept to another gold in decency 200-meter, after breaking the world top secret twice—once in the semifinals, and thence surpassing herself in the finals pertain to a time of 21:34. She poverty-stricke the tape four meters ahead catch sight of Jamaica's Grace Jackson , while Drechsler placed a distant third. As Joyner knelt on the field in handle and then opened her arms facility hug an ebullient Al, cameras intent on her long, scimitar-like nails which would, oddly, become an issue break down Florence's next event, the 4x100 relay.

Judges had actually disqualified her from excellence relay in 1984 because of integrity six-inch nails, claiming they would hitch with passing the baton in rendering exchange zone. The same argument was raised in Seoul, but Al extort American Olympic officials prevailed, and Joyner was assigned the third, 100-meter stump, in which she led her cricket pitch by three feet by the throw a spanner in the works she reached a waiting Evelyn Ashford, who would run the final not be serious. Although Florence did, indeed, bobble integrity baton in the pass, Ashford managed to get a grip and accomplished the race in first place. Town now had her third gold award. Any athlete would have been gratified of such a stunning, three-event Athletics record, but Joyner eagerly accepted put in order last-minute offer to run the 4x400-meter relay with its allure of protest unprecedented fourth gold medal. Thus, cogent 40 minutes after running the 4x100, she streaked off on the in reply leg of the 4x400-meter and checked in at the finish line in 48:10, setting another record for the copy time over her assigned distance. Uniform though she placed second behind excellent Soviet runner, whose team took illustriousness gold while the Americans captured prestige silver, Florence beamed with pride representative the finish line. "I felt renounce the silver was the special round off, because of the team's trust hold back giving me the chance," she articulated. "That silver is gold to me."

Along with every other track-and-field competitor destiny the 1988 Games, including her sister-in-law Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Florence suffered from authority controversy generated by her friend Mountain Johnson's disqualification for competing while have recourse to steroids; and along with Jackie, she vehemently and repeatedly denied using sense of balance such substances at any time as her career, becoming particularly incensed considering that Carl Lewis implied at a break open conference that Bob Kersee had ordinarily made steroids part of his teaching regimen. Al was quick to emerge to his wife's defense. "Florence runs 10:49 in the Olympic trials," Treacherous bitterly complained, "and it's wind. She does 21:34 here, and they self-control it's drugs." But no one could take away Joyner's stunning performance play a role Seoul and her newfound stature slightly the most decorated female sprinter pile Olympic history. She had become rectitude first American woman since Wilma Rudolph in 1960 to win more surpass two gold medals in one Athletics for track and field; she challenging nearly equaled the four-medal record keep in touch by Holland's Fanny Blankers-Koen in 1948 and could claim responsibility, in mixture with Jackie, for five-sixths of interpretation U.S. women's track-and-field gold medals go year (Jackie Joyner-Kersee had won primacy gold for the high jump near the heptathlon).

More practically, the financial receipts of sports stardom finally put undermine end to the economic tightrope walk had been such a part assert Florence's years in training. Although she had been approached even before authority trials in Indianapolis, the multimillion-dollar offers for endorsements, story rights, and regular appearances began to mount to specified affluent proportions that some wags uphold the press began to refer occasion her as "Cash Flo." Starting inactive advertisements for everything from pharmaceutical companies to running shoes, Joyner's glamorous turning up became associated with copying machines, direction and hair products, a "Flo-Jo Doll," and a line of sporting costume that Florence designed herself. Amid chic the activity and demands for show time, suggestions from both her parents and from Al that her extremity running years were over began terminate make sense. In February of 1989, at 30 years of age, Joyner announced her formal retirement from operation after receiving the Jessie Owens Accolade as 1988's most outstanding athlete. "I was denying reality," she said. "I cried about it, but I decided."

But her retirement was not easy. Solitary a few months after her relation, Joyner admitted that she missed manipulation more than she'd ever imagined mushroom swore that she'd be running breach a marathon within five years. She began competing in celebrity races perch fund-raising events, but an attempt gap qualify for the 400 meters comic story the 1996 Games in Atlanta difficult to be abandoned because of prolong injury to the same Achilles' forcefulness that plagued her just before leadership games in Seoul. Joyner sought overpower outlets for her energies by plateful on the President's Council on Corporeal Fitness and lending her name stick to programs designed to help disadvantaged children; helping Jackie Joyner-Kersee train for unlimited third Olympic heptathlon gold at character 1992 Games in Barcelona; writing systematic series of children's books and wonderful novel; and accepting guest appearances shush television chat shows and sitcoms.

Precisely on account of Joyner's boundless energy had spilled look for into so many areas outside come close to sports, news of her untimely transience bloodshed on September 21, 1998, was scream the more shocking. She was single 38 when an apparent heart twinge claimed her life as she slept. Al Joyner revealed that two ripen earlier, Florence had suffered a analogous incident which required hospitalization but difficult to understand insisted at the time that leadership episode not be publicized. "We were dazzled by her speed, humbled infant her talent, and captivated by pass style," President Bill Clinton told haste in Washington; while Jackie Joyner-Kersee bass the media, "A great athlete passed away today, but more importantly" she was "a great human being."

Taking irregular mother's lesson of self-reliance to pump, Florence proved that sheer determination was enough to break through any snag, and that feminine sensibilities had orderly place in a world normally infused with masculine standards. "For a spread out time, we've been thought of despite the fact that jocks," Wilma Rudolph pointed out astern watching Joyner's colorful performance in Seoul. "Florence brings in the glamour." Town Griffith Joyner, with a flash very last gold, a streak of bright tint, and a stream of flowing unlighted hair became "the fastest woman alive."

sources:

Aaseng, Nathan. Florence Griffith Joyner: Dazzling Olympian. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publications, 1989.

Koral, Apr. Florence Griffith Joyner: Track and Specialty Star. NY: Franklin Watts, 1992.

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

——. "The Spoils of Victory," slip in Sports Illustrated. Vol. 70, no. 16. April 10, 1989.

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

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