Advertisement
In celebration of the 10th annual Black History Month, the City of Portage will host a special speaker at the Portage Zhang Senior Center. This year’s guest is Jackie Joyner Kersee, one of the greatest track and field athletes in American history. She is the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the long jump and to compile more than 7,000 points in the seven-event heptathlon. In 1999, she was named the greatest female athlete of the 20th century by Sports Illustrated for Women. Jackie Joyner-Kersee grew up in a challenging environment but soon found solace and purpose in sports. Joyner-Kersee attended UCLA, where she showcased her versatility and talents in the heptathlon and long jump. She won her first Olympic medal, a silver, in the heptathlon at the 1984 Olympics, won gold medals in the heptathlon and long jump in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and a gold medal in the heptathlon and a bronze medal in the long jump in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. In 2004 she was inducted into the USA Track & Field Hall of Fame. She founded the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Youth Center Foundation to provide young people with resources to succeed.
Join the City of Portage as we discover the life journey of Jackie Joyner-Kersee. A question-and-answer session and book/autograph signing will take place after the presentation. A copy of her book, "A Kind of Grace," can be purchased at the event (limited quantities available; cash only) or you may bring your own copy.
» Saturday, February 1, 6 PM
» Portage Zhang Senior Center (203 East Centre Avenue)
» FREE (No registration required)
Advertisement
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
203 E Centre Ave, Portage, MI 49002-5504, United States
