1939 - 1994
Wilma Rudolph was an American sprinter who became the first American woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympic Games, achieving this feat at the 1960 Rome Olympics. Born on June 23, 1940, in St. Bethlehem, Tennessee, she overcame polio as a child to become known as "the fastest woman in the world." Rudolph's athletic accomplishments and advocacy for civil rights made her an inspirational figure in sports and beyond.