My doctor told me I would never walk again. My mother told me I would. I believed my mother.

Wilma Rudolph

Athletes

Wilma Rudolph

Born in Clarksville, Tennessee in 1940, Wilma Rudolph overcame childhood polio that left her unable to walk without a leg brace to become the 'Black Gazelle' - winning three gold medals (100m, 200m, 4x100m relay) at the 1960 Rome Olympics. A pioneer for African American female athletes, she proved the power of human will to conquer the impossible.

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Wilma Rudolph's Other Quotes

Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit.

My mother taught me very early to believe I could achieve any accomplishment I wanted to. The first was to walk without braces.

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