Jackie Joyner-Kersee Research Paper

Jackie Joyner-Kersee is widely known as one of the all-time greatest female athletes out there. She is known mostly for her high achievements in the sport of track and field but has many other accomplishments that are not as well advertised. She is also known for some of the many world records she set and some that she still holds. Jackie Joyner-Kersee is someone that even when she is long gone, everyone will still remember. On March 3, 1962 unto the world was born a little baby girl whom no one knew was one day going to have such an impact on both the world of sports and the world around her; Jacqueline “Jackie” Joyner-Kersee. When Jackie was born her grandmother said that she must be named Jacqueline because, “She would be the first woman of something”. Little did they know that statement would come true in the years to come. Jackie was born and raised in small town East St. Louis, Illinois. She lived there along with her mother, father, great-grandmother and her brother. They lived in a small four room house that they could hardly maintain especially during the cold months when the pipes would freeze, but they did what they could. Jackie’s mother Mary was a huge influence on Jackie’s sports career because she refused to let Jackie or her brother (Olympic athlete Al Joyner) date before the age of …show more content…
She has won an outstanding amount of awards throughout the amount of time she spent competing in not only the Olympics but other competitions as well. She still holds the world record for the most points scored in a women’s heptathlon coming in at 7,291 points. Attached is a list of different world records and championship placements she has received. Unfortunately Jackie had to retire from competing in sports in 2001 at the age of 38 because she suffered from exercise induced asthma and so portion of her life dedicated to competing had officially come to an