Wilma Rudolph ran against the clock and against the odds. She was the twentieth of twenty-two children. She was born with polio and was plagued with physical problems and illness throughout her childhood. At age four she was left without the use of her left leg. By age six her leg was in a brace. She miraculously overcame her health challenges and at age 16 she won the bronze medal in the 1956 Olympic games. Four years later Wilma became the fastest woman in the world when she made history by becoming the first American woman to win 3 gold medals in the 1960 Olympic games in Rome, Italy.
