Jesse Owens, considered as the best athlete of his timewas born on a day like today but in 1913 in Oakville, Alabama, United States.
Marked by racism and the economic crisis that the United States was experiencing, Jesse did not leave his dreams behind and decided to train to be an Olympic runner, an endeavor that took him to the Berlin Olympics in 1936.
During the height of Nazi Germany, Owens quickly became a sporting legend, achieving feats such as winning four gold medals in the long jump and relay race at the 1936 Olympics, overcoming all prejudices against people of color.
You may be interested in: He is “The Mutant” the bodybuilder who sought to have Schwarzenegger’s body
At the time he was considered “the best” and “most recognized athlete in history” and despite all his achievements and even breaking a world record, his country did not treat him differently, on the contrary, it continued to deal with racial issues.
Despite being a tremendous athlete, Owens fell into tobacco addiction, which would cause him to develop stage IV lung cancer accompanied by various after-effects that led him to the hospital repeatedly. Smoking for 35 years in a row would take its toll on him, and he died at the age of 66 due to cancer.
Owens died in Tucson, Arizona surrounded by his family on March 31, 1980, leaving behind a legacy in the sport and the dormitory where he stayed at the 1936 Berlin Olympics was converted into a museum of photographs of his achievements.
Related
2024-09-17 05:50:24