Her parents were hardworking, but very poor. (George Silk/The Life Picture Collection/Getty Images) They could barely afford the one local black doctor, so Wilma was nursed to health by her mother and tight-knit family.As a child, Wil… Just like Alta, Wilma was once the quickest kid in Clarksville, and just like Alta, Wilma once had holes in her shoes. When Rudolph returned to her hometown after the 1960 Olympics, her homecoming parade and banquet were, by her request, the first integrated events in the town. Her father, Ed, worked as a railroad porter and handyman while her mother, … After completing several years of medical treatments to regain the use of her left leg, Rudolph chose to follow in her sister Yvonne's footsteps and began playing basketball in the eighth grade. Rudolph earned a full scholarship to Tennessee State University and after retiring from track and field, she completed her college degree and continued to inspire others through her work as a teacher, a coach, and a civil rights activist. She was … She overcame huge odds as a child to go on and win three gold medals and one bronze in track and field. Rudolph continued to play basketball in high school, where she became a starter on the team and began competing in track. She won the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year award in 1961. Wilma Rudolph. The Quickest Kid in Clarksville Little Alta is the quickest kid in Clarksville, Tennessee and tomorrow is the big parade where three-time Olympic gold medalist Wilma Rudolph will be riding on a float. With the help of … Wilma Rudolph was one of America’s first major national superstars in track and field. The family’s budget was very tight — Wilma was the 20th of her father’s 22 children from two marriages. In her sophomore year Rudolph scored 803 points and set a new record for hi…

She was born prematurely, but because of the racial segregation at the time, Wilma and her mother Blanche were turned away from the local hospital. Beginnings Wilma Glodean Rudolph was born on June 23, 1940, in Clarksville, Tennessee. Rudolph’s hometown of Clarksville celebrated “Welcome Wilma Day” on October 4, 1960, with a full day of festivities. Her doctors said she would never walk again but her mother said she would, and she believed her mother. She was born on June 23, 1940 in Tennessee and was the 20th of 22 children. She went on to finish her degree at Tennessee State University and began working in education. Wilma Rudolph was an African-American Olympian. She was the 20th child of 22. Her homecoming parade and banquet were the first nonsegregated events in the town’s history. Returning home an Olympic champion Rudolph refused to attend her homecoming parade if it was not integrated. Rudolph especially inspired young African-American female athletes. When Wilma was four years old she suffered from many illnesses and contracted polio, which caused infantile paralysis.