Have you ever heard of Wilma Rudolph? She was not only an amazing athlete, but an amazing individual as well. Today, I would like to share part of her inspirational story.
I recently received this story in my email as part of a daily devotion I receive from Worthy Brief. I was so moved by her faith and her story that I wanted to share that same story with you.
Wilma Rudolph
“True story! In 1940, a large and wonderful Christian family, the Rudolph’s, announced the birth of their 20th baby! Though the baby was not expected to live, having been born prematurely and with polio, she defied all odds. She did live, but by the time she was four she had suffered polio, pneumonia and scarlet fever. This little girl was badly crippled with hardly any use of her left leg. While her brothers and sisters enjoyed running and playing outside, she was left confined to braces.
“Will I ever be able to run and play like the other children?” she asked her parents. “Honey, you only have to believe,” they responded. “If you believe, God will make it happen.” And she did! Now and again, she would practice walking without her braces with the aid of her siblings. On her twelfth birthday, she surprised her parents and doctors by removing her braces and walking around the doctor’s office unassisted. She never wore braces again.
Her next goal was to play basketball. The coach only agreed to let her play as a means of getting her older sister on the team. She was given an outdated uniform, but she was allowed to work out with the other players. One day she approached the coach and promised him if he would give her an extra ten minutes of coaching each day, she would give him a world class athlete. He laughed, but seeing she was serious, half-heartedly agreed. Before long her determination paid off. She became one of the team’s best players.
Her team went to the state basketball championships. One of the referees noticed her exceptional ability. He asked if she had ever run track. She hadn’t. He encouraged her to try it. So after the basketball season she went out for track. She began winning races and earned a berth in the state championships.
At the age of 16, she was one of the best young runners in the country. She went to the Olympics in Australia and won a bronze medal for anchoring the 400-meter relay team. Four years later in Rome she won the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash and anchored the winning 400-meter relay team — all in world-record times. She received the prestigious Sullivan Award as the most outstanding amateur athlete in America.
This is the amazing story of Wilma Rudolph, an Olympic gold medalist, who believed the promises of God.”
WorthyBrief@worthynetwork.com
More About Wilma Rudolph
If you want to find out more about her, here is one book I found on Amazon. Just click the link below.
Believe the Promises of God
What is impossible with man is possible with God. Trust God to fulfill his promises. Don’t let your circumstances define who you are, but trust, instead, like Wilma Rudolph did, that God will fulfill his promises for your life no matter what you are facing.
Wilma believed that she would be able to run and walk like other kids and she kept trying. Then, God was faithful and not only did He help her walk again, but she became an Olympic gold medalist.
For more great inspirational true stories, check out my post entitled “The Inspirational Story of Darlene Deibler Rose”
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