Wilma Rudolph

Three sprint gold medals at Rome 1960 Wilma Rudolph overcame polio as a child, and in Rome she became the first American woman to win three gold medals at a single Olympics, in the 100 meters, the 200 meters and the 4x100 meters relay. Pair her races with Bikila's marathon from the same Games: two athletes whose stories began far from any expectation of Olympic glory. For a class talking about determination, a sprinter who began life fighting polio and ended up the star of the Games needs little explanation.