Standing at the podium as a champion has become a familiar scene over the years for three-time Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
The highly-decorated track and field athlete, once dubbed the “Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century,” again found herself at the podium Wednesday, but this time as a champion for a different cause.
Joyner-Kersee helped kick off the Champions for Kids Campaign, a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Lee County.
The campaign helps support the many programs offered by the non-profit community organization. Last year, the campaign raised about $61,000, said Wanda Lewis, Boys & Girls Club president.
Joyner-Kersee said she was more than happy to accept the invitation to speak at the organization’s 20th anniversary kickoff luncheon at Greater Peace Missionary Baptist Church.
“I was honored, knowing how important Boys & Girls Clubs were to me as a member and how they impact the lives of young people,” said Joyner-Kersee, who grew up in East St. Louis, Ill.. “My message to kids is to dream, never give up on your dreams and to be prepared to work hard to reach their goals.”
Joyner-Kersee said she values being considered a role model for children.
“Many times, the same message I try to get across to youth is the same one their moms and dads are trying to,” she said. “So if even one kid listens to what I have to say, then I’m happy to be able to help.”
Joyner-Kersee said the message of hard work is important, especially with so many sports figures who would be role models admitting to using performance-enhancing drugs.
“When I ran my first race, I finished last but I knew if I improved my time by even a tenth, I was getting better,” Joyner-Kersee said. “There’s no substitute for hard work. There’s no magic pill you can take for that.”
Joyner-Kersee now travels the country on public speaking engagements and is a children’s book author. She also works to raise awareness about asthma, from which she suffers.
Lewis hopes Joyner-Kersee’s message resonated with youth.
“This lets them see that there are people who have gone on to do great things who have walked exactly the path that they are on as Boys & Girls Clubs members,” Lewis said. “It shows them that anything is possible.”
During the luncheon, Lee County family Court Judge Richard D. Lane was named the recipient of the 2010 Jane Walker Community Champion Award. The award, named after Jane C. Walker, a lifelong Boys & Girls Club supporter, is given to a person whose work demonstrates a commitment to Lee County’s youth.
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