Wilma Rudolph (On My Own Biography)

In 1946, six-year-old Wilma Rudolph dreamed of walking and playing like other children, but a sickness called polio had damaged her left leg. Wilma spent hours each week doing painful exercises at a hospital for African American patients. The rest of the time, she was forced to wear a heavy and cumbersome leg-brace. Still, Wilma never gave up. She knew she could walk again, and if she could walk, maybe she could run. Author Victoria Sherrow tells how Wilma Rudolph's determination led her to the 1956 and 1960 Olympics where she gained fame as a champion runner. Larry Johnson's rich illustrations help to capture this true story of heroic strength and fearlessness.

VICTORIA SHERROW is the author of For Appearance's Sake: The Historical Encyclopedia of Good Looks, Beauty, and Grooming (2001), Encyclopedia of Youth and War: Young People as Participants and Victims (1999), and Women and the Military: An Encyclopedia (1996), a 1996 RUSA Outstanding Reference Source award winner.