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In 1988, Florence Griffith Joyner set two records in women's sprinting that still stood more than ten years later: a world record in the 100-meter dash that she set at the Olympic trials in Indianapolis, and a world record in the 200 meters that she set at the Olympic games in Korea. Prior to that, "Flo Jo" ("Dee Dee" as her family called her) had run well in world competitions but had never been the star.
As amazing as her times were her flamboyant outfits and stunning beauty. To Flo Jo goes the credit for smashing the myth that a woman can't or shouldn't be both athletic and beautiful.
This book traces Flo Jo's life from her childhood in a strong but poor family in Watts, Los Angeles, through adolescence as a shy, eccentric high school scholar and athlete, through several career reversals before her ultimate triumph.
The story shows how the support of others — family, coaches, and her track star husband Al Joyner — helped her sustain her ambitions and faith. It ends with her sudden death, apparently of a seizure, at the age of 38.
Guided Reading Level: L
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