KEYNOTE ADDRESS

How to Overcome Obstacles to Success

Thursday, October 15 | 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

As one of the most decorated female athletes of all time, Jackie Joyner-Kersee dominated the track and field circuit for 13 years and won three gold, one silver, and two bronze medals spanning four Olympic Games during her illustrious career. At the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, she won the silver medal in the heptathlon. Four years later, at the 1988 Games in Seoul, Korea, she struck gold in both her signature events - the heptathlon (world record) and long jump. She followed that up at the 1992 Games in Barcelona, Spain, by winning gold in the heptathlon and bronze in the long jump. In her final Olympic appearance at the 1996 Atlanta Games, she won the bronze medal in the long jump. In addition, she won a total of four gold medals (two in the heptathlon and two in the long jump) at three different World Championships and finished first in the long jump at the 1987 Pan American Games.

Sports Illustrated for Women magazine named Jackie Joyner-Kersee the Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century. On three different occasions (1986, 1987, and 1994), she was honored by Track & Field News as the World Athlete of the Year. She also was named as the top American Athlete five times (1986, 1987, 1991, 1992, and 1994).

The inaugural recipient of the Humanitarian Athlete of the Year, Joyner-Kersee is known worldwide for her interest in aiding others. She has helped to build the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Youth Center Foundation in her hometown of East St. Louis, Illinois, that has raised more than $12 million. In 2007, she - along with several notable athletes - founded Athletes for Hope, a charitable organization of professional athletes who get involved in charitable causes and inspire millions of non-athletes to volunteer and support their community.

Meet Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Olympic Gold Medalist

Having been dubbed ‘The Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century’ by Sports Illustrated, Jackie Joyner Kersee’s athletic accomplishments are literally second to none. By the conclusion of her career in the heptathlon and long jump events she had amassed six Olympic medals (3 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze) and four World Champion titles over four consecutive Olympic Games. Jackie was the first woman in history to earn more than 7,000 points in the heptathlon and today, over 20 years later, she still holds the world heptathlon record of 7,291 points. She continues to hold the Olympic and national records in the long jump and her 1994 performance in the long jump remains the second longest in history.

In addition to heptathlon and long jump, Jackie was a world class 100m and 200m runner and, after a decorated All-American career in basketball at UCLA, she eventually played professional basketball for a short time.
Jackie’s athletic accomplishments have been well documented and remain some of the best ever across all of sports. Less well known, are her tireless efforts and remarkable accomplishments off the field as a philanthropist and an advocate for children’s education, health issues (in particular asthma from which she has suffered throughout her life), racial equality, social reform and women’s rights.

Born in 1962, in East St. Louis, IL, Jackie came from very humble beginnings but despite the at times, very strained conditions she describes her early home life as being full of love, principle and discipline. These ingrained values have served Jackie well both on and off the field throughout her life. She has been described by the sports media as one of the warmest, most even-tempered, grace-filled people in all of athletics.
One of four children to Mary and Alfred Joyner, Jackie’s older brother Al went on to become an Olympic Champion triple jumper and married Florence Griffith (Joyner), a five time Olympic medalist. In 1986 she married her long-time coach, Bob Kersee.

Jackie is the author of both A Kind of Grace (1997), her autobiography, and A Woman’s Place is Everywhere. She is an active professional speaker and is widely considered one of the most inspiring motivational speakers in all sports. Jackie speaks on topics of athletics, business success, living with the limitations of medical issues, nutrition, women’s issue and youth advocacy.