Olympic Legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee on How She Shaped Her Own Destiny
The word ‘legend’ gets thrown around a lot these days, but when it comes to track and field athlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee, 62, that lofty title may just be an understatement. Considered by many to be the best female athlete of all time, she earned six Olympic medals, including gold in heptathlon (at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul and 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona) and long jump (at the 1992 Barcelona Games). In fact, she was the first American woman to win gold in these events. Here, the philanthropist, mentor and all-around trailblazer talks about how she overcame life’s greatest hurdles — and how her new partnership with Ancestry showed her that true grit isn’t necessarily written in our DNA.
Woman's World: Can you talk a little about how important your family and support network have been?
My grandmother named me after Jacqueline Kennedy. She wrote on the back of my photo, ‘One day, this girl is going to be First Lady of something.’ I always had that wonderful support from my family. It makes such a difference in life, and it’s inspired me try to give back whenever I can, even in small ways. For example, I like to share my number with young athletes to let them know they can turn to me for advice or support. At the same time, seeing my mother and father struggle when I was growing up taught me to focus on what I can control and let go of what I can't.
Focus On Sport
WW: At the 1984 Olympics, you won silver in heptathlon, missing gold by only five points. What did that experience teach you?
If I fall short of a goal, I know when I look in the mirror at the end of the day, it’s no one else’s responsibility but my own. I wasn’t mentally tough enough at my first Olympics, and I learned that if I wanted to be the best in the world, I had to be able to adapt and adjust. That’s what the ’84 Games taught me — that if I allow negativity to get the best of me, I’m going to become discouraged. To stay motivated, I need to remain positive and believe in myself.
WW: How did you find the courage to overcome life’s biggest obstacles?
The biggest challenge of my life was my mother dying suddenly during my freshman year of college [in 1981]. I remember I was just determined not to quit. The one thing I had going for me at that time was my scholarship, and I was determined to finish what I had started. I’ve always been an optimist and I try to find light even in the darkest days. Even when it’s raining, I see tears of joy.
WW: You teamed with Ancestry for their new Bring Your DNA Game experience, celebrating the launch of 30 new performance traits such as speed and self-discipline. Available for a limited time, it lets people compare their traits to top athletes like you! What did you learn from your test?
There were a lot of surprises, and it makes for great conversation: I’m now able to say I have the flexibility of [Olympic gymnast] Gabby Douglas! And I wouldn’t have thought that I have ‘fast heart-rate recovery,’ for example, because I’m asthmatic. Yet I scored low on optimism and determination, which I think I’ve shown a lot of over the years! It just proves that we all have determination within us that is unmeasurable — we are born to believe in ourselves. You can’t measure the heart of a champion, and we can all pull out the best traits from within ourselves.
To learn more about how Jackie overcame challenges, check out her interview with the BBC's Katty Kay!
WW: You’re a passionate advocate for children’s education. Can you talk about the impact you’re making on the next generation with your foundation?
I founded the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation in East St. Louis back in 1988. It’s been 36 years — wow! We provide everything from after-school programs to educational opportunities to resources children need to thrive. We teach them that winning in life takes 14 principles, including grit, self-confidence and determination. It’s an honor to be in a position to mentor and support these kids. My mother died of a rare form of meningitis, and when I visited her in the hospital, I couldn’t hug her… that was incredibly hard. So today, one of the greatest joys of my life is hugging these kids. They love hugging me — but I love hugging them more than they know.
WW: What’s the most important piece of advice you’d like to share with women?
You have to take care of yourself! Find something good in your day — from gazing at a flower to laughing with a friend — and build on that. Surround yourself with positive ‘influencers’ — not the social media kind, but people who inspire you and lift you up. Words have great meaning… they can hurt you or they can inspire you. Who can you turn to for advice? Who takes care of you? Just as important, you have to carve out time for yourself. I like to meditate, and I make sure I take my four-mile walk in the morning — I take care of me, so that I can take care of others.
For more inspiring stories of world-class athletes:
Take a Walk Down Memory Lane to Shawn Johnson's Debut Olympics and Her Stellar Beam Performance
Simone Biles Has Talked About Being a Champion! 6 Must-Read Quotes From the Olympic Gymnast
