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Wilma Rudolph became the first American woman to ever win three gold medals in a single Olympics. She accomplished that feat in Rome, Italy, in 1960. The roads to Rome, from Rome, and in Rome were filled with challenges and victories for this spunky black woman.
Rudolph grew up in the 1940s and 50s in Clarkesville, Tennessee, a community divided by segregation and poverty. Born prematurely in a family of 22 children, she was a victim of polio and paralysis.
Rudolph learned to walk, then run, then star in athletics. She made her first Olympic team as a junior in high school. That same year she lost a friend to a tragic car accident, became pregnant, and was awarded a scholarship.
Her athletic skill allowed her to travel the world and change the course of segregation in her home town. She met Jackie Robinson and John F. Kennedy along the way.
The Race Inside Me presents an inspiring woman who overcame great challenges to win gold medals.
Guided Reading Level: S
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