SOKX QIM WCCX….. (Please refer to your newspaper for complete puzzle.)
TODAY’S ANSWER:
ANSWER: FIND THE GOOD. IT’S ALL AROUND YOU. FIND IT, SHOWCASE IT AND YOU’LL START BELIEVING IN IT. —JESSE OWENS
JESSE OWENS
SEPTEMBER 12, 1913 – MARCH 31, 1980 • AGED 66 • AMERICAN TRACK & FIELD LEGEND • FOUR-TIME OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST
🏡 FROM ALABAMA TO OHIO
James Cleveland Owens was born in Oakville, Alabama, the youngest of ten children. His family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, during the Great Migration, where a teacher’s misunderstanding of his initials, J.C., gave him the nickname Jesse.
🏃 THE GREATEST 45 MINUTES IN TRACK HISTORY
While competing for Ohio State University on May 25, 1935, Owens set three world records and tied another at a meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He accomplished the extraordinary feat in approximately 45 minutes, despite suffering from a sore back.
🥇 FOUR GOLD MEDALS IN NAZI GERMANY
At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Owens won gold medals in the 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump, and 4 × 100-meter relay. His victories challenged the Nazi regime’s claims of racial superiority and made him an international sporting hero.
🤝 FRIENDSHIP ACROSS THE LONG JUMP PIT
During the Berlin Games, Owens developed a friendship with German long jumper Luz Long, who won the silver medal behind him. Their sportsmanship became one of the Olympics’ most memorable stories, transcending the political tensions surrounding the competition.
🇺🇸 A CHAMPION RETURNS TO SEGREGATION
Despite his Olympic success, Owens returned to an America where racial segregation still restricted opportunities for Black athletes. He struggled financially after turning professional, later working in public relations and speaking to young people about perseverance and achievement.
🌟 A LEGEND BEYOND THE FINISH LINE
President Gerald Ford awarded Owens the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1976, honoring his extraordinary athletic achievements. Owens died in Tucson, Arizona, in 1980, but his four gold medals and pioneering legacy remain central to Olympic history.
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