In this episode we run off to New York to get a post-Olympic sports fix! Writer and editor Sheila Enright who is both a former track and field runner and co-host of Dead Ladies NYC brings us the story of American gold medallist Wilma Rudolph.
Born into a family of 22 children in segregated Tennessee, Wilma Rudolph was diagnosed with polio at a young age and told she would never walk again. But her mother told her she would, and young Wilma decided not only would she walk, she would run! A skilled sprinter, she qualified for her first Olympics at the age of 16, bringing home a bronze medal as part of the relay team. She decided to go further, faster, and at the 1960 Olympics she set records and won 3 gold medals, being dubbed “The Fastest Woman on Earth.”
During and after her athletic career, Wilma Rudolph used her celebrity to further important causes, from desegregation to sports education for children.
Our 28th show features three ladies who their marks on the world in dramatically different ways. Join us as we learn about a writer known for her problematic romanticization of the Deep South; a celebrated child actor turned savvy diplomat; and a runner who overcame polio and discrimination to become the fastest in the world.
MARGARET MITCHELL (1900–1949) was an equestrian, debutante, newspaper reporter and novelist, best known as the author of the Pulitzer-Prize winning novel Gone With the Wind. Born in Atlanta, Mitchell’s creativity was apparent from a young age. She wrote one of her first stories at age nine and held dramatized readings of popular novels in her parents’ sitting room until she was lectured on the dangers of copyright infringement. The author of one of the most enduring and controversial depictions of the American South, Mitchell led a sensational, tumultuous life that was not unlike that of her heroine, Scarlett. A bold, larger-than-life figure, Mitchell was no stranger to scandal and accurately predicted her own cause of death.
SHIRLEY TEMPLE BLACK (1928–2014) was an American actress, singer, and dancer, who later became a long-serving United States diplomat. Beginning her career at only 3 years old and catapulting to fame in 1934, Temple Black became Hollywood’s #1 box-office attraction during the Great Depression. While she continued acting into the 40s and 50s, she ultimately pivoted away from show-business to pursue political work. After becoming active in California politics in the 1960s, Temple Black was appointed as a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly in 1969, and subsequently named U.S. Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia, and even served as America’s first female Chief of Protocol.
WILMA RUDOLPH (1940–1994) was an American Olympic track and field champion. Born the 20th of 22 children, she was diagnosed with polio at the age of 6 and needed braces to walk. Thanks to the ministrations of her mother and siblings, she regained the use of her legs and by the age of 16 was winning Olympic medals. At 18, she had her first baby and her athletic career seemed over, but undaunted, she kept training. Two years later she became the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field during the 1960 Summer Olympic Games and was heralded as the fastest woman in the world.
ELLIE CAMPISANO is an educator, learning specialist, and writer based in New York City. In her free time, Ellie can be found experimentally cooking, singing, doing yoga, and adventuring around the City in search of the best seasonal baked goods with her toddler, Rosie.
SHEILA ENRIGHT, a former track and field runner, is the co-host of this lovely show!
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