Category: Spotlight

Mirai Nagasu established herself as a star at a young age

She won the U.S. senior ladies championship at age 14 and competed in her first Olympics two years later.

Carmelita Jeter took an unusual path to become the Fastest Woman Alive

She took up track as an offseason complement to basketball and attended a college that had never sent a runner to the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Shooter Kim Rhode was the first woman to win medals in six consecutive Olympics

With three gold medals, one silver and two bronze, she is the only athlete to win Olympic medals in all three shooting disciplines.

Betty Robinson was fast as a train and remarkably resilient too

She was just 16 years old when she won Olympic gold in the 100 meters; eight years later, after surviving a plane crash, Robinson won Olympic relay gold.

Simone Manuel: first Black female swimmer to win individual Olympic gold

Simone Manuel won two gold medals and two silver medals at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Olympic champion Benita Fitzgerald-Mosley has been successful in every facet of life

Months after graduating from college with a degree in industrial engineering, Mosley became the first Black woman to win the gold in the 100 meters.

After an injury, John Register became a two-sport Paralympian

After having his left leg amputated following a devastating injury in practice, John Register became a Paralympic swimmer, sprinter and long jumper.

Eddie Tolan became the first Black athlete to win two Olympic gold medals

Although not the prototypical sprinter, Eddie Tolan almost always finished where sprinters wanted to be: first.

Ashleigh Johnson: first Black athlete to make U.S. Olympic Women’s Water Polo Team

A trailblazer in her sport, Ashleigh Johnson helped Team USA win the gold medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

An injury led April Holmes to rediscover her passion for sport

With a prosthetic left leg, April Holmes competed in four Paralympic Games, winning one gold medal and two bronze.