Wyomia Tyus

At 78 years old, Wyomia Tyus has this physical status:

Wyomia Tyus (pronunciation: why-o-mia; born August 29, 1945) is a retired American track and field sprinter, and the first person to retain the Olympic title in the 100 m (a feat since duplicated by Carl Lewis, Gail Devers, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Usain Bolt).

Early life

Raised on a dairy farm, as the youngest of four children, and the only girl in the family Tyus was encouraged by her father to participate in sports. While a high school athlete Tyus participated in basketball and began her track endeavors as a high jumper before transitioning to the sprints after being invited to a summer track clinic at Tennessee State University in 1960. It was in this same year that Tyus's father died leaving the job of male role model in Tyus's life to her soon to be track coach at Tennessee State Ed Temple.

Personal life

Tyus grew up in a primarily white neighborhood and became aware of her race and of racial segregation at an early age. She was forced to take an hour bus ride to school each day, in spite of the fact that there was a white school within walking distance. Racial divide in her neighborhood also prevented Tyus from playing with the white girls that lived nearby and as the nearest black family lived almost a mile away, Tyus spent most of her time playing sports with her brothers and the white boys in the neighborhood. As she grew older her father helped to solidify the idea that she could accomplish anything in her life, but not without hard work to overcome racial stigma.

After finishing high school Tyus attended Tennessee State University (TSU), making her the first of her family to go to college. While at TSU Tyus participated in the Tigerbelles collegiate team. Tyus began training with TSU coach Ed Temple, however poor grades, study habits, and a general lack of interest in her classes nearly derailed her chances to continue her training and attend the 1964 Olympics. She has credited her training with Coach Temple as helping with her development and success in her sports, academic, and professional life, especially as he highlighted the struggle that comes with being a black athlete and having to work harder to receive positive recognition.

In December 1968 Tyus moved with her then boyfriend from Georgia to California, where she worked as a substitute teacher. She married her boyfriend Art Simburg in 1969 and held multiple jobs until becoming a teacher in 1971. Tyus left this job within a year in order to stay at home with her first child. Tyus's first marriage ended in 1974 and in 1978 she married Duane Tillman, with whom she had her second child, a son.

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College and professional career

At age 19, Tyus Williams, a student at Tennessee State University, competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics. She tied Wilma Rudolph's world record, propelling her to a coveted spot in the final, where her main rival, Edith McGuire, was a fellow American. Tyus secured the final by beating McGuire by 0.2 seconds. She also won a silver medal with the 4 100 m relay team at the same Olympics.

Tyus won numerous national championships in the sprint events over the years, as well as a gold medal in the 200 meters at the Pan-American Games. She returned to the Olympics in 1968 to defend her title in the 100 meters. Tyus also qualified for the 200M final, in which she finished sixth. Tyus, who was running in the relay team's final leg, set a new world record by winning her third gold medal.

Tyus casually dancing behind her starting blocks before the Olympic final, according to director Bud Greenspan. When she was interviewed later, she said she was doing the "Tighten Up" to stay loose.

After the 1968 Olympics, Tyus retired from amateur sports. In 1973, she was invited to compete in the new Professional International Track Association's 60-yard dash. She won eight of eighteen events in her first-year appearance. She won every event she entered in the following year, a total of twenty-two. Tyus continued to compete in the 60 yard run-up until 1982.

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