Jackie Joyner-Kersee is a former American track and field athlete who ranks among the all-time greats in the heptathlon and long jump. She won three gold, two bronze, and one silver Olympic medal in those two events in four different Olympic Games. Sports Illustrated for Women magazine has named her the Greatest Female Athlete of All Time.
Furthermore, she serves on the board of directors for USA Track and Field (USATF), the sport’s national governing organization. She is currently an active philanthropist in the fields of children’s education, women’s rights, and racial equality. She gained widespread recognition after establishing the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation, which inspires the majority of East St. Louis youth to pursue athletics and academics.
Similarly, she has been actively involved in technology since 2011, when she collaborated with Comcast to launch the Internet Essentials program. Aside from her work and occupation, she has several quotes, which are listed below. You can select your favorite.
“As long as you take care of yourself, there are few limitations to your life with asthma.”
“Best I’ve ever wanted and still want out of life is to give my all to whatever I’m doing, to be committed to whatever I’m doing, and then let the results speak for themselves.”
Also, never take myself or others for granted, and always be thankful and grateful to those who have assisted me.”
3rd of 52 Quotes by Jackie Joyner-Kersee
“It is preferable to plan ahead of time than to regret later.”
“In today’s world, sports have the potential to bridge the gap between racism, sexism, and discrimination.”
The Olympic Games in 2012 were a tremendous start, but maybe what these games taught us is that if women are given an equal playing field, the possibilities for women are limitless.”“Winning is nice, but finishing my final Olympic Games on American soil was crucial.”
Despite my injury, I didn’t let my psychology get the best of me and cause me to doubt myself, so in ’96, I was determined to pull every muscle in my body to get the job done, and I walked away with a bronze medal.”“I’d appreciate ‘I Dream of Genie’ abilities.”
“I know that when I depart this earth, I’ve done something that will continue to assist others.”
“I’m not afraid.
I’m modest, but I’m vivacious.”“Your surroundings do not define you.
I don’t have a lot of money, but I can train them and communicate to them.
“We can all be role models for the future generation.”“I don’t believe there is such a thing as a perfect athlete.”
But, if I had to choose someone who embodies all of the qualities that I believe an athlete should possess, I would say Tiger Woods is the ideal athlete.
He has the talent, he’s humble, and he’s excellent at what he does.”“The London Olympics mark the 24th anniversary of my winning two gold medals and breaking the world heptathlon record.”
Someone is going to desire it; records are made to be broken; it’s only a matter of time until someone does.
“I hope mine outlives me.”“It’s vital to me to try to expose young people to things they think are out of bounds for them.”
‘There are no walls, only the ones we build,’ I tell them.
My advise to young people looking at my life is not to follow in my footsteps, but to forge their own.”“It is better to plan ahead of time than to look back and regret.”
“Give something back in some form.”
Always be considerate of others.”“I’m thinking about doing Zumba.”
I haven’t done it yet, but I thought it would be a lot of fun and unique.”“I’ve had asthma all my life.”
“What people need understand is that asthma is not a trivial ‘wheeze-disease.’
It kills approximately 5,000 individuals in America each year, and I could have been one of them.”“I have a burning urge to get out there and give it my all.”
It’s as if I’m keeping it all in a small bottle, and it’ll all come out when I do the best I can.”“Ask any athlete: we all get hurt.
I’m putting my body through seven different exercises.
It would be unreasonable to expect it not to ache.”“I don’t believe that being an athlete is unfeminine.
I consider it a type of grace.”“I learned to listen, and I learned to listen well.”
It aided me both athletically and academically.
The person who talks too much or talks over others misses out since they are not listening.”“I set my goals on making an Olympic team, not thinking how difficult it would be.”
23rd of 52 Quotes by Jackie Joyner-Kersee
“I enjoy track and field, but I know there will come a time when I will have to do something else.”
“Growing up during the Title IX era – it was passed when I was 10 – I got to witness so many fantastic moments in women’s sports.”
Of course I didn’t know it at the time.”“Age isn’t a barrier.
It’s a mental constraint you impose on yourself.”“I’m always challenged by someone.”
“Quality training is what I do now; before it was a combination of both quality and quantity. Now I’m not trying to be a world-class athlete, I don’t need to train at that level. It’s about being fit, fit for life.”
“I’m a realist and I always have been.”
“I really do miss playing basketball. I don’t play a lot of pick-up games. But I do like using basketball as a form of cross training.”
“Teaching kids about health and fitness is important to me. It’s about being fit for life.”
“Even though I’m not a competitive athlete, I have to still maintain things and try to keep myself fit because I am at that age where I need to make sure to get those regular checkups and make sure everything is in tact.”
“There are many women who came before me who didn’t really have the same opportunities that I have had. That’s why I always wanted to be a great ambassador – not only today’s generation – but for the women who really didn’t have a voice, but who paved the way for me.”
“I learned to listen and listen very well. It helped me athletically and in the classroom as well.”
“The person who talks a lot or talks over people misses out because they weren’t listening.”
“When I started competing, you had to have your coach there. Now you can be coached from a home office via Skype or video. That’s not the same as having them on the field with you.”
“People assuming that because I’m a great athlete, I can dance. But no. My rhythm is off a little bit.”
“There are a lot of other people that really play a significant role in helping you become an Olympian.”
“As you grow older and young people come up to you with their history books, you realize that some of the things I have been able to do have been impactful. But for me, I try to keep everything in perspective and stay humble.”
“Some people are embarrassed to say they came from East St. Louis, Ill., but now more people want to claim it. I grew up in a community center and I knew what it gave me. I always knew I wanted to give back and help people because people helped me.”
“I’m a realist and I always have been. Quality training is what I do now; before it was a combination of both quality and quantity. Now I’m not trying to be a world-class athlete, I don’t need to train at that level. It’s about being fit, fit for life.”
“I’m more of a hands-on person. I like working with young people from the standpoint of providing support for the grassroots programs. State, national and Olympic champions begin at a grassroots level.”
“When I was in elementary school, we weren’t allowed to do sports other than cheerleading. By junior high, they let us play, but we had to come back after 6:30 p.m. to practice because there was only one gymnasium and the boys used it first.”
43rd of 52 Jackie Joyner-Kersee Quotes
“It wasn’t until I was 14 and watched the 1976 Olympic games on television that I really started to dream about the big time. I remember seeing Evelyn Ashford in the 100 meters, and she was going to UCLA.”
“Competing in both track and field and basketball for the Bruins I have a lot of great memories to choose from. But my all-time favorite moment in collegiate sports has to be in 1982 when we won UCLA’s first NCAA title in track.”
“I was diagnosed with asthma when I was 18 during my freshman year at UCLA. I refused to accept it – and I hid it from my coaches and teammates. But ignoring my problem didn’t make it go away.”
“My denial and irresponsible attitude about asthma put me at great risk and caused me so much needless suffering. My hope is that the kids I talk to learn to open up about their asthma, become educated about their condition, and seek help.”
“The 2012 London Olympic Games fostered a generation of hope. I witnessed women participating for the very first time, representing every nation.”
“My passion for giving is no different than yours. I give because it’s in my heart to give. I give because I was taught to give at a very early age. This is how I developed my passion for giving.”
“People assume that because I’m a great athlete, I can dance. But no. My rhythm is off a little bit.”
“Even at 10 or 12, I was a hot, fast little cheerleader.”
“I do not take steroids. I never have. It’s sad to me that people want to point fingers. I don’t do that. That’s not me. I wouldn’t feel like a human being.”
“I always have been trying to work on the other side of Jackie, and that is, making sure that my appearance, that my image, is right; also, working in the job world, knowing how it is to wake up and go to a job.”
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