Jackie Joyner was born on March 3rd, 1962 in East
St. Louis, Illinois.She came from
a family well know for its athleticism as she was the younger sister of Olympic
track and field star Al Joyner, and sister-in-law of the late track star
Florence Griffith Joyner.Not only
did she overcome asthma to become a world heptathlon record holder, but she won
several Olympic medals as well.In
high school she was a basketball and track star, gaining an athletic
scholarship to UCLA.She achieved
her B.A. in History and in 1986 married Bob Kersee.
Perhaps Jackie’s greatest personal victory came when
she became the first woman to ever win the gold medal in the long jump.She made history at the 1988
Olympics.She also won the silver
for the heptathlon in 1984, and the bronze in the long jump in 1992.Although she retired after the Goodwill
games in Atlanta, Georgia in 1998, Jackie Joyner-Kersee still holds the world
record in the long jump at 24 feet and 7 inches.She has since founded the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Community
Foundation, which is dedicated to helping disadvantaged youth.
Read a short biography on Joyner-Kersee as well as other
biographies from athletic legends such as Carl Lewis and Marita Koch from the
Association of Athletics.
Read this in-depth article from ESPN Sports Century Athletes
about Joyner-Kersee.Learn about
how her career began as well as some facts about growing up.
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