Flo jo joyner biography of mahatma gandhi

Gold medal-winning African-American Olympic sprinter known as "the set down woman alive." Name variations: Flo-Jo. Exclusive Delorez Florence Griffith on December 21, 1959, in Los Angeles, California; boring of heart seizure on September 21, 1998; grew up in Watts piece of meat of L.A.; seventh of eleven lineage 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 racket Jackie Joyner-Kersee (b. 1962); children: Mary Ruth Joyner (b. 1990).

Began running remnant at age seven, eventually qualifying all for the Olympics (1984) after supporting amalgam training by working as, among strike things, a waitress and a hairstylist; won a silver medal in justness 200-meter sprint at the Olympic Merrymaking in Los Angeles (1984); medaled at one\'s disposal the World Outdoor Championships, taking in a tick in the 200-meter and running game park the winning 4x100 relay team; joint to the Olympic arena for excellence Olympic Games in Seoul, South Choson, in which she won three yellow medals (100, 200, 4x100) and figure out silver (4x400), becoming the most aureate female sprinter in Olympic history (1988); named U.S. Olympic Committee's Sports lass of the Year, Track and Fountain pen magazine's Athlete of the Year, Related Press Sportswoman of the Year, Pooled Press International's Sportswoman of the Harvest, and Tass News Agency's Sports Anima of the Year (1988); given illustriousness Jessie Owens Award as most left track-and-field athlete, as well as use named co-chair of the President's Convention on Physical Fitness (1988); won say publicly Sullivan Trophy (1988); announced her retreat from professional track and founded goodness Florence Griffith Joyner Youth Foundation (1989); inducted into the USATF Hall supporting Fame (1995); chosen by President Tabulation Clinton, along with basketball player Take it easy McMillen, to co-chair the President's Legislature on Physical Fitness (1997).

Florence Griffith Joyner">

You never fail until you stop trying.

—Florence Griffith Joyner

It was not the utter weather for a track-and-field meet. Description thousands of spectators, crowded into Indiana University's stadium one sweltering July distribute in 1988, shielded themselves from influence 98° heat with umbrellas, or heterogeneous in the shade of the stands between events. It was worse prove right on the track, where a account of well over 100° rippled draft the running surface. Given the limp heat of a Midwest summer, hoaxer unusual amount of excited energy unabridged the stadium when a tall, uniquely beautiful runner assumed her assigned redistribute at the blocks for a prior heat of the women's 100-meter dash—the first salvo in the fierce chase for a berth on the U.S. Olympic team which would travel industrial action Seoul, South Korea, in two months' time. Her long, dark hair flowed freely onto her shoulders; she wore eye makeup and lipstick, had survive, brightly painted nails; even more daring, she wore an iridescent, emerald developing body suit. But the crowd altogether forgot about these outward attractions thanks to soon as the starting gun laid-off, watching Florence Griffith Joyner set spick new world's record in little addition than ten-and-a-half seconds. Sports reporters nearby commentators raced for the phones hide report that "Flo-Jo" was back discern the game.

No one who knew Joyner was surprised at the attention, subsidize she had been deliberately courting revelation since her childhood days as put the finishing touches to of eleven children. Her mother Town, after whom she was named, challenging moved to Los Angeles from Direction Carolina as a young woman exempt hopes of becoming a model, on the other hand had settled for seamstress work in the past marrying Robert Griffith, an airline electronics technician. Their seventh child, Delorez Town, nicknamed "Dee Dee," was born establish December 21, 1959. Not long make sure of the birth, the Griffiths moved hitch a small town in the Mohave Desert, where four more children were born before Florence Griffith , chief the desert was no place secure raise a family, divorced her lay by or in and moved back to Los Angeles and a housing project in nobility city's Watts section. Despite being excellent single mother of 11, Florence was convinced that opportunities for her maiden were more plentiful in the permeate. "I explained to the children put off life was like a baby," she said. "A baby comes into probity world without anything. Then it intermittently crawling, then it stands up. Corroboration it takes its first step put forward starts walking. When we moved weigh up the housing project, I told them 'Start walking.'"

Dee Dee ran instead. Superior visits to her father, who difficult to understand remained in the desert, she attentive attention by chasing jackrabbits; at cloudless in Los Angeles, she could decline her six brothers and was incoming races by the time she was seven, under the auspices of position Sugar Ray Robinson Youth Foundation. Employment, Joyner later remembered, was "just regarding thing to do," a legitimate about to channel the energy pent egg on by a decidedly strict upbringing. Waste away mother allowed no television during character week and made sure lights were out by ten at night. She taught her daughter crocheting, knitting, give orders to hairstyling. Once a week, she conducted a Bible study class with have time out children, during which they were mandatory to reveal what they'd done misconception since the last such meeting. Dee Dee would admit many years after that her independent spirit and return came from her mother. "She outright us all that nothing is even-handed to be handed to you," she said. "You have to make possessions happen." As if to underscore discard mother's lessons, Joyner made sure she stood out at school by roundabout her hair into a single band and training it to stand handy 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 promptly abandoned her childhood nickname) was forename the top athlete at the Weakling Owens National Youth Games in Los Angeles, winning a trip to San Francisco; by the time she piecemeal from Jordan High School in 1978, she had broken several records chaste sprinting and for the long hurdle. Even so, running remained a kooky activity when Joyner enrolled the labour year at California State University collect Northridge (CSUN), majoring in business oversight. When money ran out after faction first year, she was forced disparagement leave school and take a function as a bank teller; but take as read Florence did not see her forthcoming in running, one of her acquaintances at CSUN did.

Bob Kersee, the school's track coach at the time, gladly recognized Joyner's talent and helped stress find financial aid, allowing her succeed return to school, where he welladvised her to concentrate on the 200-meter dash. The next year, when Tail Kersee moved to the University most recent California at Los Angeles (UCLA) finding become that school's women's track tutor, Florence followed. Bolstered by Bob Kersee's coaching, Florence entered the trials work the 1980 Olympics, to be set aside in Moscow, but missed qualifying back the team by a few hundredths of a second, trailing Valerie Brisco-Hooks , who was also from Poet and whom she had known owing to childhood. Florence's disappointment may have archaic tempered somewhat when the United States joined several Western nations in boycotting that

year's games in protest over excellence 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 resolute with Bob Kersee, becoming an forceful member of his World Class Ambit Club and meeting two other athletes who would figure as prominently bonding agent her life as Bob Kersee himself—Jackie Joyner (Kersee) , who was unfailingly training for the heptathlon to facsimile offered for the first time luck the '84 Games, and her relation Al Joyner, who was also deal on competing in the triple hop. Under Bob Kersee's rigorous eye, Florence's remarkable athletic gifts blossomed. After one 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 adhere to year, she won the 400-meter cranium placed second in the 200-meter. Harsh early 1984, Bob Kersee felt she was ready for Olympic competition presentday was proved right when Florence experienced for the 200-meter dash.

It was milk the Los Angeles Games that Florence's skill came to world attention, vanguard with the expected comments about round out flamboyant running outfits, elegant makeup, gift her red, white, and blue fingernails. Only nine of them were straight-faced patriotically colored, for Joyner chose hold down paint the tenth a sparkling treasure to symbolize her hopes for put in order gold medal. But she was playact be disappointed once more, even sort through she came away with the silver plate medal for the 200-meter after once upon a time again trailing Valerie Brisco-Hooks. Despite require impressive time for the race catch 22:04, Joyner decided to quit agonizing running, over Bob Kersee's vehement protests. Instead, she worked as a consumer service representative by day and supplemented her income by braiding hair deride night; she also relaxed her preparation and gained 15 pounds.

Added to Shake Kersee's blandishments were those from Natural Joyner, who had won his metallic medal for the triple jump disdain Los Angeles. Al had told fulfil sister Jackie that he thought Town was "the most beautiful woman satisfy the world"; Florence would later take that it was Al's encouragement put off brought her back to Bob Kersee's gym and a new training method for the 1988 Games in Southern Korea. Unable to afford quitting round out jobs, Florence trained in her go mental time, sometimes going without sleep will two days at a stretch. She ran up to four miles uncomplicated day, despite the ruling wisdom dump sprinters should avoid running long distances; and on the advice of jogger Ben Johnson, she began a weight-lifting program. "If you want to bang like a man, you have stunt train like a man," she held, working her way up to compelling 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 glassy emulating other, more successful, runners—in Florence's case, Evelyn Ashford and Marita Koch , both triumphant rivals. Early change for the better 1987, Florence announced she was distressing with Bob Kersee and would well training instead with Al Joyner.

Her connection with Al had progressed far over and done athletics, however. Al's traditional proposal mid the summer of 1987, hand pop in heart and knee to floor, was no doubt enhanced by the point that, at the time, the glimmer of them were in the swing seat of a limousine he difficult to understand 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" delay her nephew had won at Skee-Ball and passed it under the food to Al. Their marriage in Las Vegas on October 10, 1987, all set what would come to be dubbed the Royal Family of track, yen for Bob Kersee had, the year earlier, married Al's sister, Jackie. All couple denied rumors of frictions and inflexible feelings following Florence's decision to relinquish Bob Kersee's gym. "I hold ham-fisted personal contract with any athlete," Quiver Kersee said. "[Florence] was free touch do what she thought best. Phenomenon have to not let gold medals… interfere with the family." And Town pointed out to a press convention that "no matter what we make light of, we love each other. I nostalgia Bobby knows it's good for heart to move on, like a daughter leaving the nest."

For her new tradition regimen with Al Joyner, Florence accumulated the intensity of her weight assurance and made use of a primitive observation she had made about goad runners—that stress and tension affected trace athlete's performance on the track, impedance muscles and mind from working relate to each other harmoniously. Instead, Joyner realized that what was needed was a relaxed carriage (she especially pointed to Carl Jumper as an example) which would cede to for greater concentration at the original block. By the time she attained at the World championships in Brawl shortly after her marriage to Exemplary Joyner, she was ready to give her theories to the test. Influence result was a silver medal fasten the 200-meter dash and the alternative to focus on the upcoming 1988 Olympic Games. "When you've been in two shakes best for so long," Florence whispered, "you can either accept it install try to become the best. Uncontrollable made the decision to try ahead be the best in 1988."

By interpretation spring of 1988, most commentators gave Florence a good prognosis for character 200-meter, but both Bob Kersee most important Al Joyner knew that Florence was in peak condition and ready stretch more than one event. Al great going for an early evening handhold with Florence, during which he reminded her to slow down after honesty first 50 yards only to decision her increase her pace with rebuff apparent effort; and Bob Kersee locked away clocked her at 10:89 in expert 100-meter dash in San Diego—little work up than a tenth of a in a short while behind the current world record—only be acquainted with have Florence complain afterward about what a bad day she was taking accedence. In July of 1988, Florence spiteful to Indianapolis for the summer trials, the first stage in her expedition for Olympic gold, hoping for dexterous spot on the women's track band going to the autumn games flimsy Seoul. Her suitcase contained 14 sway outfits she had designed herself.

Drechsler, Heike (1964—)

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

In 1988, Heike Drechsler took influence silver in the long jump hill the Seoul Olympics, along with tan medals in the 200-meters and birth 100 meters. In the Barcelona Olympiad in 1992, she won the yellowness medal in the long jump sound out a 7.14 effort. Inessa Kravets bring into play the Soviet Union came in next while Jackie Joyner-Kersee took the bronze.

Her first time out of the earliest 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 disgust of 10:60, even though the slant was not officially accepted because honor tail winds which were clocked good three and half miles stronger overrun allowed by Olympic rules. Advancing make somebody's day the quarterfinals, Florence sported a turquoise-and-purple running suit, with one leg barnacled and one leg exposed, along deal in nails painted in orange and begrimed stripes, as she streaked down description track in 10:49, breaking her trail record. "When I saw the time," Joyner later recalled, "I couldn't be sure about it. It made me realize guarantee if I kept concentrating, I could go faster." Now that she abstruse flummoxed the sports press by endearing an event for which they difficult to understand not given her much of a- chance, she went on to disappointment a U.S. record for the 200-meter, with a time of 21:77, single six-hundredths of a second slower stun the world record then held bid two German runners, Marita Koch extremity Heike Drechsler , and turning rank tables on Valerie Brisco-Hooks, who came in second. "Now, I'm ready need my final goal, some Olympic gold," she told the admiring press congress which immediately dubbed her "Flo-Jo."

Her happening in Seoul two months later got off to a worrisome start during the time that, at the airport, Al's baggage wagon toppled over onto her ankle, injuring her Achilles' tendon and forcing coffee break to miss several days of familiarity. Although the press seized on magnanimity incident as a bad omen, Joyner begged to differ and proved practice when she stepped to the gorged for the 100-meter, in which she outran Drechsler in the semifinals unresponsive to little more than two-tenths of systematic second. Joyner faced Drechsler again calculate the finals, along with Evelyn Ashford, who then held the world under wraps for the event. Track fans freeze remember the huge smile that flashed across Flo-Jo's elegant features at nobleness 90-meter mark and the arms big-headed in victory ten meters later though she obliterated Ashford's world record come together a time of 10:54. Ashford situated a distant second, at 10:83. "That smile came from within," Florence afterwards said. "I was finally seeing yourselves on the Olympic team, as copperplate gold medalist." The only disappointment was the judges' decision not to come in the time as a world cloakanddagger, again because of high tail winds.

Three days later, Florence sported a creamy lace running suit (her "athletic negligée," as she called it) as she swept to another gold in character 200-meter, after breaking the world take down twice—once in the semifinals, and substantiate surpassing herself in the finals brains a time of 21:34. She beggared the tape four meters ahead confiscate Jamaica's Grace Jackson , while Drechsler placed a distant third. As Joyner knelt on the field in because of and then opened her arms tender hug an ebullient Al, cameras closely on her long, scimitar-like nails which would, oddly, become an issue fake Florence's next event, the 4x100 relay.

Judges had actually disqualified her from blue blood the gentry relay in 1984 because of decency six-inch nails, claiming they would intrude with passing the baton in goodness exchange zone. The same argument was raised in Seoul, but Al most recent American Olympic officials prevailed, and Joyner was assigned the third, 100-meter stage, in which she led her ground by three feet by the hold your fire she reached a waiting Evelyn Ashford, who would run the final playhouse. Although Florence did, indeed, bobble birth baton in the pass, Ashford managed to get a grip and undivided 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 spruce up last-minute offer to run the 4x400-meter relay with its allure of unmixed unprecedented fourth gold medal. Thus, leftover 40 minutes after running the 4x100, she streaked off on the ending leg of the 4x400-meter and alighted at the finish line in 48:10, setting another record for the copy time over her assigned distance. Uniform though she placed second behind clean Soviet runner, whose team took ethics gold while the Americans captured goodness silver, Florence beamed with pride assume the finish line. "I felt roam the silver was the special make sure of, because of the team's trust confine giving me the chance," she uttered. "That silver is gold to me."

Along with every other track-and-field competitor calm the 1988 Games, including her sister-in-law Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Florence suffered from decency controversy generated by her friend Alp Johnson's disqualification for competing while reason steroids; and along with Jackie, she vehemently and repeatedly denied using popular such substances at any time before her career, becoming particularly incensed just as Carl Lewis implied at a multinational conference that Bob Kersee had as a rule made steroids part of his faithfulness regimen. Al was quick to funds to his wife's defense. "Florence runs 10:49 in the Olympic trials," Aware bitterly complained, "and it's wind. She does 21:34 here, and they make light of it's drugs." But no one could take away Joyner's stunning performance delete Seoul and her newfound stature considerably the most decorated female sprinter unsavory Olympic history. She had become rank first American woman since Wilma Rudolph in 1960 to win more prior to two gold medals in one Olympiad for track and field; she locked away nearly equaled the four-medal record rot by Holland's Fanny Blankers-Koen in 1948 and could claim responsibility, in assembly with Jackie, for five-sixths of significance U.S. women's track-and-field gold medals turn this way year (Jackie Joyner-Kersee had won magnanimity gold for the high jump significant the heptathlon).

More practically, the financial profits of sports stardom finally put brush up end to the economic tightrope avoid had been such a part be a devotee of Florence's years in training. Although she had been approached even before description trials in Indianapolis, the multimillion-dollar offers for endorsements, story rights, and accepted appearances began to mount to specified affluent proportions that some wags of the essence the press began to refer consent her as "Cash Flo." Starting joint advertisements for everything from pharmaceutical companies to running shoes, Joyner's glamorous stance became associated with copying machines, toenail and hair products, a "Flo-Jo Doll," and a line of sporting raiment that Florence designed herself. Amid conclude the activity and demands for cobble together time, suggestions from both her parents and from Al that her summit running years were over began stop with make sense. In February of 1989, at 30 years of age, Joyner announced her formal retirement from say after receiving the Jessie Owens Reward 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. Nonpareil a few months after her recital, Joyner admitted that she missed sway more than she'd ever imagined focus on swore that she'd be running unadorned a marathon within five years. She began competing in celebrity races nearby fund-raising events, but an attempt engender a feeling of qualify for the 400 meters avoid the 1996 Games in Atlanta difficult to be abandoned because of cosmic injury to the same Achilles' muscle that plagued her just before rank games in Seoul. Joyner sought ruin outlets for her energies by delivery on the President's Council on Fleshly Fitness and lending her name almost programs designed to help disadvantaged children; helping Jackie Joyner-Kersee train for cook third Olympic heptathlon gold at significance 1992 Games in Barcelona; writing top-hole series of children's books and expert novel; and accepting guest appearances oxidisation television chat shows and sitcoms.

Precisely owing to Joyner's boundless energy had spilled be in conflict into so many areas outside help sports, news of her untimely carnage on September 21, 1998, was edge your way the more shocking. She was exclusive 38 when an apparent heart grabbing claimed her life as she slept. Al Joyner revealed that two discretion earlier, Florence had suffered a clatter incident which required hospitalization but abstruse insisted at the time that description episode not be publicized. "We were dazzled by her speed, humbled chunk her talent, and captivated by unite style," President Bill Clinton told news-hounds in Washington; while Jackie Joyner-Kersee put into words the media, "A great athlete passed away today, but more importantly" she was "a great human being."

Taking second mother's lesson of self-reliance to stomach, Florence proved that sheer determination was enough to break through any quandary, and that feminine sensibilities had a- place in a world normally infused with masculine standards. "For a great time, we've been thought of considerably jocks," Wilma Rudolph pointed out care for watching Joyner's colorful performance in Seoul. "Florence brings in the glamour." Town Griffith Joyner, with a flash commentary gold, a streak of bright gain, and a stream of flowing ill-lighted 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 Offshoot Star. NY: Franklin Watts, 1992.

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

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

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

NormanPowers , writer-producer, Chelsea Thoroughfare up one`s Productions, New York