Determination, sacrifice, accomplishment.
These are just a few traits that one appreciates when watching our Olympic athletes. If you are like me, you get emotional when our flag is raised and you hear our National Anthem. Champions receive recognition for the years of practice and then it happens; that magical moment in time when they stand on the podium. But what about those competitors who did more than win a medal? Here are some examples of Olympians who transcended their performances at the Olympic games.
One instance of sheer will power was gymnast George Eyser (pictured above & the man in the middle on the parallel bars.) George won three gold medals and did so with a wooden prosthetic left leg at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis.1
During those same 1904 Olympics, Marcus Hurley won 4 gold medals in cycling and would later be decorated for his service in World War I. You can see the determination on the Columbia graduate’s face as he pushes his cycle to the limits. Hurley was also the captain of Columbia University’s basketball team which he led to a national championship in 1908.2
Mel Sheppard captured 4 gold medals as an Olympian in the 1908 London Games and the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm. During World War I Sheppard became athletic director for numerous training camps. He was a member of the New Jersey National Guard and the 69th Regiment. In the picture above he is shown crossing the finish line in 1908 where he passed Britain’s Harold A. Wilson in the 1500 meter for the gold.3
Foy Draper (shown above second from the right) won the gold in the 4 X 100m relay with the great Jesse Owens (shown above first on the left) at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.
He would later become a bomber pilot in World War II. Foy would be called to fly during the Battle of Kasserine Pass in Tunisia which was the first large engagement between German and American forces. Sadly, his plane would not return after the battle. His courage and ultimate sacrifice would pave the way to victory for The United States and the Allies in World War II.4
- “Amputee Olympians” – The Herald, August 4th 2008.
- “Marcus Hurley Olympic Results”: sports-reference.com. 2013-05-02
- A champion to remember: Mel Sheppard won the first of his 4 Olympic golds 100 years ago. By Phil Anastasia Posted: July 14, 2008 on Philly.com
- (4) Foy Draper: Sports Reference. Retrieved on August 20, 2015.
Leave a Reply