Why do we love Jackie?

When she was born, her grandmother said she was destined to be the "First Lady of something" when she named her after then First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Grandma was not wrong. Jackie Joyner grew up in a harsh and sometimes violent East St. Louis, with a mother who was determined that her children would not be limited by their surroundings. Jackie excelled in athletics, often out performing her older brother Al. At UCLA, the versatile Jackie, played volleyball, was a four-year starting forward on the basketball team, was in the top ten percent academically, and would meet coach (and future husband) Bob Kersee with whose help she would rewrite the track and field record books. While still a student at UCLA, Jackie competed at the1984 Los Angeles Olympics (the first of four Olympic Games in which she would medal) and won the silver medal in the heptathalon, a two-day event made up of seven individual events, in a remarkably close contest (Australia's Glynis Nunn's 6,390 points to Jackie's 6,385). Inspired by her near brush with Olympic gold, Jackie spent the next four years with her eye on the 1988 Seoul Games, winning all nine heptathalons she entered, smashing the world record and becoming the first woman to break the 7,000 point barrier. In Seoul, Jackie medaled twice, winning golds in the heptathalon and the long jump. Jackie continued to dominate the heptathalon into the '90's, winning gold again at the Barcelona Games, becoming the only woman to win gold in consecutive Olympics. A model of grace and class, Jackie entered the 1996 Atlanta Games in an unfamiliar position, that of underdog. A strained muscle would force her to withdraw from the heptathalon, but she would gut out a third place, Bronze medal finish in the long jump.

After dominating her sport for almost a decade, Jackie retired from track and tried her hand at professional basketaball with the American Basketball Association's Richmond Rage. Her professional basketball career was short lived, and she turned her attention to motivational speaking and community projects.

Arguably the world's greatest female athlete, Jackie may have left the track behind, but she continues to win off the field. Determined to extend the same opporunities to children in the East St. Louis area, she founded the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation which, in conjuction with the Boys and Girls Club, has opened a community center which provides academic and athletic programs. Talent, determination, focus, drive, ability, inspiration, and community service -- seven additional events in the Jackie Joyner-Kersee heptathalon of life.

Biography:

Born - March 3, 1962
East St. Louis, Illinois

Achievements:

• 1982-83 - NCAA and US National champion in the heptathalon
• Three-time UCLA athlete of year (1983-85)
• 1984 - Olympic Silver Medal - Heptathalon -- Los Angeles, California
• 1986 - First to register more than 7,000 points in the heptathalon, which consists of the 100-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200 meters, long jump, javelin and 800 meters. Goodwill Games in Moscow.
• 1986 - Sullivan Award winner. Honors the nation's top amateur athlete.
• Track & Field News' Athlete of the Year (1986, 1987,1994)
• 2-time world champion in both long jump (1987,1991) and heptathlon (1987,1993)
• 1988 - Olympic Gold Medal - Heptathalon (world record) and Long Jump (Olympic record) -- Seoul, Korea
• 1988 - Named The Sporting News Man of Year - the only woman so honored.
• 1990-96 - Wins seven consecutive US National heptathalon titles
• 1991 - Goodwill Games heptathalon champion
• 1992 - Olympic Gold Medal - Heptathalon and Bronze medal Long Jump -- Barcelona, Spain
• 1996 - Olympic Bronze medal Long Jump -- Atlanta, Georgia, USA
• 1996 - Joins the American Baskeball Association's Richmond Rage
• 1998 - Breaks gorund for the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Boys and Girls Club Community Center in her hometown of East St. Louis.
• 1999 - Named Associated Press' Summer Olympian of the Century.