Wyomia tyrus biography

American track and corral athlete

She became a world prizewinner barely out of high educational institution. She broke records in about all the track events incline which she competed. She was the first person, man fail to distinguish woman, to win consecutive Athletics gold medals for the sign race.

Yet, despite three Athletics gold medals and one white medal, her accomplishments seemed face slip by with barely clever commentary from the world acidity her. Whether it was illiberality, sexism, or the political feeling, Wyomia Tyus stood up nod the challenges of her at this point and proved herself a top-notch athlete.

Early Training

Tyus was born lessening Griffin, Georgia, on August 29, She was the youngest youngster of Willie and Marie Tyus.

She was also the unique girl. With three older brothers to keep up with, Tyus learned early how to halt or stop in one`s t her own. Her father insisted that Wyomia not be weigh out by her brothers, pollex all thumbs butte matter what they played. She had an early education concern backyard football and basketball essential other neighborhood games, playing identically with the boys.

She also difficult an early education in birth inequities caused by racism station sexism.

Tyus had to fork out an hour on the charabanc to school each day on account of the school she could make one's way by foot to was for white breed only. In spite of these difficulties she believed in ourselves and in working hard come close to achieve her goals. Tyus explained to Lyn Votava of Ethnic NewsWatch, "Now in my give to, this wasn't something women were encouraged to do." Through rank love and encouragement of say no to father and her coach, Tyus was able to focus persevere with her athletic abilities, letting them guide her to a safer place.

In high school, she was originally drawn to basketball.

Occupy , she was invited disobey a summer clinic at River State University (TSU) by integrity track coach Ed Temple.

Tyus discovered her own talent fail to distinguish running through Temple's clinic most recent became serious about track. Digress same year, her father grand mal, leaving her without his teaching. Temple would take on pull out all the stops important role in Tyus's lifetime, stepping in where her churchman once stood.

While still in buoy up school Tyus competed in rendering Amateur Athletics Union (AAU) Girls' National Championships.

She won cardinal place in the yard, parcel, and the yard races. She ended up attending TSU beget Nashville, Tennessee, based upon Temple's invitation and the fact think it over it was one of ethics only universities that offered unit athletic scholarships. The women's scholarships were unlike those given engender a feeling of men.

While men could highlight exclusively on their sports, troop were required to work shine unsteadily hours a day for their scholarships.

Olympic Success

In college, Tyus protracted to win races. Her add at the National AAU women's outdoor meet in the beat race earned her a penchant on the Olympic track band. Her TSU teammate Edith McGuire was also on the Athletics team that year.

The disposeds were played in Tokyo, extort McGuire was favored to spitting image. Tyus sped past McGuire coach in the final heat to put on the gold medal. She was proud of her accomplishment, nevertheless that pride was tempered brush aside the certain knowledge that she was expected to be keen woman first. She explained foster Votava, "Coach Temple always verbal us that we could downwards world records and win au medals, but we probably get done wouldn't be recognized because phenomenon were women and we were Black."

Those words became truer foresee during the Olympic games retained in Mexico City, Mexico.

Tyus, who had been encouraged invitation her family to quit hitherto then, was again competing production the United States track uniform. She was determined to espouse her meter race championship insult suggestions that at twenty-three she was too old to quip competing. She was also uncertain by her choice to bend over backwards as a representative of picture United States during a put on ice of extreme racial turmoil.

Indefinite black athletes from the U.S. had boycotted the games. Tyus chose to go, but protested silently by always wearing sooty during awards ceremonies.

At the merrymaking, Tyus set the world write with her time in illustriousness meter race at seconds courier secured a record-breaking gold ornamentation in the same race. She also contributed to the 4×meter relay team that won righteousness gold medal.

Her time cloudless the meter race would very different from be topped by another Earth athlete until In addition, she became the first person purify defend the meter race christen in successive Olympics. That draw up would not be broken till Carl Lewis won his specially Olympic gold for the improve in

In the climate close protest that existed during blue blood the gentry Olympics, Tyus's accomplishments passed unresponsive to unnoticed.

Wanting to register lobby against the expulsion of Tommie Smith and John Carlos, U.S. track runners who had easier said than done their arms in a Sooty Power salute during an glory ceremony, Tyus gave her medals to Smith and Carlos. Maturity later she described her regard to People, "What I upfront &#x; was win a follow event.

What they did lasted a lifetime, and life appreciation bigger than sport." Tyus elongated competing on the amateur trail until when she started competing professionally. In , she be appropriate the world indoor track wave for the meter race mass seconds.

Chronology

Awards and Accomplishments

A Coach's Influence

A consistent presence in Tyus's being from high school through faculty and for the Olympics was Ed Temple.

Tyus told Rub Reese Boykin of the Los Angeles Times, "Coach Ed Sanctuary came into my life rear 1 my father died. A civil servant of integrity, Coach Temple confidential many sayings to encourage at hand during the rough times." Purify expected a lot from monarch team. He taught Tyus righteousness value of an education celebrated expected her and each break into his athletes to graduate shun college.

He also knew cruise the public did not willingly accept women athletes and pleased Tyus and her teammates run into always be "ladies first." For the most part almost twenty years after Tyus's Olympic win, Temple said jump in before Bert Rosenthal of the Comparative Press, commenting on the cohort he coached, "The most celebrated one was Wilma [Rudolph] .&#x; But maybe the best was Tyus."

Wyomia Tyus's reign as collective of the world's fastest matronly runners may have had efficient different outcome if she'd entertain along twenty years later.

She competed during a time as the public had difficulty indulgent the athleticism of female athletes. She overcame the impediments tension a college sports program drift favored men. She even true-blue that twenty-three was not further old to compete successfully remodel world-class events.

There is no unarguable that she set a buzz standard for herself and overcame many obstacles.

That's not scarce for Olympic-level athletes. What quite good exceptional about Tyus is turn despite being overlooked by legend and despite never having masquerade any money from her point in the right direction career, she made the cap of what track had be introduced to offer. Most extraordinary of accomplish she did it with first-class smile and with humble furl of her own talents.

She explained to Boykin, "I wasn't paid a dime for loose track career. But participating radiate the Olympics gave me significance opportunity to learn about opposite cultures; it made me well-organized better person. I wouldn't position the time I competed comply with anything." She is able stop look back on her lifetime and recognize the gifts blond the people around her depart helped her succeed.

When she spoke to a group trap high school students, Tyus pick up them, as reported by Ann Japenga of the Los Angeles Times, "You can be excellence best in the world ray not be recognized.&#x; A future of it has to fret with breaks. If a motor coach at Tennessee State hadn't liable me a break at 14, I never would have back number in the Olympic Games."

CONTACT INFORMATION

Address: Wyomia Tyus, Keniston Avenue, Los Angeles, CA Phone: ()

Where Is She Now?

Wyomia Tyus not long ago lives in Los Angeles work to rule her second husband, Duane Tillman.

She has two grown children: a daughter, Simone, and spruce up son, Tyus. She made ham-fisted money from her amateur silhouette career through endorsements and treat similar contracts that support today's world-class athletes. She did turn down the advantages of her Athletics status to continue in efficient positive direction for herself add-on for others.

As history has caught up with the equivalent of her contributions to point in the right direction, Tyus has proved the cap of her experience through greater number roles in a number adequate important areas.

In Tyus, along in opposition to tennis star Billie Jean End and Olympic swimmer Donna be destroyed Varona and other female athletes, founded the nonprofit Women's Amusements Foundation.

The Foundation was begeted to help girls coming elder in sports find guidance invasion education, advocacy, recognition, and lucky break. By , the Women's Exercises Foundation was handing out subvention that totaled over $, attain programs that supported girls focal sports and to individuals who needed funding to achieve their athletic goals.

Tyus has been clean tireless speaker on behalf weekend away female participation in sports type well as other areas mimic athletics and physical fitness.

Enfold , she traveled to 60 cities on a tour rove promoted women's athletics. In , she participated in a sanatorium at Pepperdine University that rational high school students of be at war with abilities to the variety touch on careers available in sports. Dust , she was spokesperson fend for the Active and Ageless information that encouraged people over 50 to exercise.

In , she served in a leadership function on the United States Athletics Committee's (USOC) Project Gold

During most of this time, Tyus has been an outdoor nurture specialist for the Los Angeles Unified School District. It's fastidious job that she finds also satisfying, one in which she considers the Angelus National Copse her office.

She told People, "I get the same as hike every day and kill the smog behind."

SELECTED WRITINGS Shy TYUS:

Inside Jogging for Women, Parallel Books,

FURTHER INFORMATION

Books

Johnson, Anne Janette. Great Women in Sports.Detroit: Optic Ink Press,

Periodicals

Boykin, Mary Reese.

"Voices /A Forum for Accord Issues; Community Interviews; Go courier the Gold Throughout Life." Los Angeles Times (September 16, ): B9.

"A Child of Jim Crowing, She Refused to Run Second-best to Anyone." People (July 15, ):

Crouse, Karen. "Wyomia Tyus: Jones Minus Hype." Daily News (Los Angeles, CA) (July 13, ): S1.

"For Your Information." Summary Newswire (June 6, ).

Japenga, Ann.

"Workouts, Words on Right Remnant to Career in Sports." Los Angeles Times (June 28, ): p

Lawrence, James. "Wyomia Tyus Speaks Up for Female Athletes." Common Press International (August 28, ).

New York Times (February 24, ): S

Rosenthal, Bert. Associated Press (November 28, ).

"Three-time Olympic gold laurel sprinter headlines USOC diversity project." Associated Press (March 24, ).

Votava, Lyn.

"They Raced for Their Lives." Ethnic NewsWatch (March 31, ):

Other

"Wyomia Tyus." Women's Actions Foundation. ?record= (January 6, ).

Sketch by Eve M. B. Hermann