Who Is Jesse Owens A Role Model

Who are your heroes or role models? Some people’s role models are firefighters, cops, or even doctors. But are you someone that admires olympic athletes that set records and help people in need like Jesse Owens. Jesse Owens is known for his community service and records setting runs and jumps in the olympics.

On September 12, 1913 in Oakville, Alabama, James Cleveland Owens was born to Henry and Emma Owens. James Owens grew up with 6 brothers and sisters. Later in his life James Cleveland Owens changed his name to Jesse Owens. Growing up Jesse was the fastest kid around which is why he went out for track and field while attending Cleveland East Technical High School. Jesse’s high school track career was astonishing to say the least. Jesse set 3 new high school records and 2 world records while attending high school. Jesse set the high school record in the 100 yard dash at a time of 9.4 seconds. His other two events set new high school and world records, the first one being in the 220 yard dash at a time of 20.7 seconds and the other record being
in the long jump where he jumped 24 feet 11 3/4 inches setting the new world record. The craziest part about all these records is he set all of them the same day and they all occurred in 45 minutes. Which earned Jesse the nickname The Buckeye Bullet. Jesse went on to win state championships 3 years in a row and ended up going to Ohio State University in track and field.

Now you’re probably asking yourself how and why Jesse Owens got involved with the olympics and how he became so famous.
Well on March 25, 1935 Jesse was attending the Big 10 championships in Ann Arbor, Michigan where he once again set 3 new world records and tied a 4th. This is when Jesse realized that he can compete with the world’s best runners and jumpers. Which is why Jesse attended the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin winning 4 gold medals. Why is this so important you ask? The 1936 Olympic Games occurred during the reign of Hitler and Nazi Germany and while the Holocaust was occurring. The greatest significance being that Hitler said Germans were the supreme race and to have an African American come in and win 4 gold medals at your games was a slap in the face to Hitler. Another importance of the 1936 games was that Jesse Owens became the 1st American track and field athlete to win 4 gold medals in one
Olympiad.

After the games Jesse married Ruth and went on to have 3 daughters, Gloria, Beverly, and Marlene. Jesse also made a career out of being an inspirational speaker and working with underprivileged kids. His track and field accomplishments along with his inspirational speaking and work with kids earned him several awards consisting of the Medal of Freedom awarded by President Gerald Ford. Another award Jesse got was the Living Legend Award awarded by President Carter. The final major award Jesse was given was the Congressional Gold Medal awarded by President George H.W. Bush. Jesse Owens died on March 31, 1980 in Tucson, Arizona of lung cancer.

The significance of Jesse Owens to the book is that Rudy Steiner would always pretend he was the great Jesse Owens. Rudy would always run and would ask if he looked like Jesse Owens killing the competition and breaking the finish line string.

Jesse Owens is one of the most remembered athletes in the history of the United States. To overcome the racial profiling he had at the olympics is an achievement in itself. But when you add the records and what he did for kids and the general public, you can see how great of a person Jesse Owens was. His legacy will live on forever.