Jackie Joyner-Kersee: An Athlete Who Gives Back

Joyner-Kersee was named after Jacqueline Kennedy. She was a fan of Babe Didrikson Zaharias. With role models such as these, the young African-American athlete was destined for greatness.

Jacqueline Joyner grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois. She began her athletic career while attending the University of California at Los Angeles. She was a star in track & field and women's basketball. During her basketball career at UCLA, she scored a total of 1,167 points. She would have scored more except that she sat out the 1983-1984 season to train for the heptathlon for the 1984 Summer Olympics.

The heptathlon consists of seven events: the 200 meter run, the 800 meter run, 100 meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump, and the javelin throw.

Joyner-Kersee took home the silver in the 1984 Olympics.

Four years later, in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea, Joyner-Kersee earned two gold medals, one in the heptathlon and one in the long jump. She also set a record for the most points in the heptathlon, a total of 7,291 points. As of the year 2009, this record was still standing.

The 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain saw Joyner-Kersee earn a second Olympic gold medal in the heptathlon and a bronze in the long jump.

But 1996 brought challenges to Joyner-Kersee's Olympics career. She sustained an injury to her right hamstring during the Olympic trials. Although she attempted to compete in the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, Joyner-Kersee was not fully recovered from the injury. She withdrew from the 100 meter hurdles, but competed in the long jump. She took home a bronze medal from the long jump, but Joyner-Kersee's Olympic career was all but over.

After the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Joyner-Kersee signed to play basketball for the American Basketball League. Her popularity with the fans outweighed her performance on the court. She only played in 17 games and didn't score any more than four points in any game.

Joyner-Kersee attempted a comeback in the Olympics in 2000, participating in the Olympic Trials. She placed sixth in the long jump, bringing her Olympics career to a close.

In addition to her Olympics triumphs, Joyner-Kersee also participated in the Goodwill Games in 1986. She was the first woman to score over 7,000 points in the heptathlon events. She also received the James E. Sullivan Award in 1986 and married her track coach, Bob Kersee, in 1986. It was a very busy year for Joyner-Kersee.

Again in 1998, Joyner-Kersee won the heptathlon in the Goodwill Games with a score of 6,502 points.

As an athlete, Joyner-Kersee found herself at a distinct advantage: she had the opportunity to give back.

She started with her own community in East St. Louis. She established the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation. This was prompted by the closing of a local center in her hometown, the Mary Brown Center. The center had been a place for youth to play, learn and interact with people in the community.

Joyner-Kersee knew personally the benefit of such an institution as she had frequented the Mary Brown Center herself as a child. So in 2000, Joyner-Kersee opened the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center (JJK) offering youth in East St. Louis a safe haven to play and learn. The center offers educational activities in addition to recreational: after-school tutoring, youth sports and character/leadership workshops prepare the youth of East St. Louis, Illinois to face the challenges of the world.

Joyner-Kersee joined a myriad of other athletes in 2007 to found "Athletes for Hope." The organization is there to inspire athletes to get involved in charitable causes. It assists athletes in matching up charities with the athlete's personal goals and help to determine where contributions would make the most positive impact.

Sports Illustrated voted Joyner-Kersee the greatest female athlete of the 20th century.

Joyner-Kersee was the recipient of the 2010 NCAA Silver Anniversary Awards.

Sources:

Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation
Athletes for Hope