LINCOLN, Ala. – One of greatest female athletes of all time – Jackie Joyner-Kersee – will be in Lincoln March 15 to meet with Talladega County high school students. Joyner-Kersee, 43, will share her story with Talladega County students of how she overcame poverty growing up in East St. Louis and how she went on to become a six-time Olympic medalist. Sponsored by Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, Joyner-Kersee’s visit to Lincoln is designed to motivate students in Talladega County schools as part of its Partners in Education Program. “Honda and Jackie Joyner-Kersee believe in using the power of dreams to set and achieve ambitious goals,” said Mark Morrison, manager of corporate affairs for Honda Manufacturing of Alabama . “Honda believes in approaching new challenges without the fear of failure. We are honored to build relationships with like-minded individuals such as Olympic champion Jackie Joyner-Kersee.”
Honda and Joyner-Kersee have been partners for more than 15 years, sharing a similar approach of using dreams to achieve success.
“Jackie Joyner-Kersee is a person who has overcome incredible odds and achieved greatness,” said Dr. Cindy Elsberry, superintendent of the Talladega County School system. “She did this by persevering against many obstacles. Her life is a shining example of how an individual can transcend poverty and physical limitations.” Elsberry said the Olympic champion’s visit to
Lincoln offers a true learning experience for many local students.
Named by Sports Illustrated magazine as the greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century, Joyner-Kersee became the first woman to win back-to-back gold medals in the heptathlon (1988-1993). She also won Olympic gold in the long jump. In total, Joyner-Kersee won six Olympic Medals in four consecutive Olympic Games.
Today, Joyner-Kersee travels the U.S. speaking to students and school groups on the topic of motivation and realizing goals and dreams. In her hometown of East St. Louis , Joyner-Kersee realized her vision in 2000 when she proudly opened the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center.
With her leadership, the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation raised more than $12 million to build a safe haven for young people to come learn, play and contribute to their community. The JJK Center provides services to thousands of families and youth in the metropolitan St. Louis area.
The center offers a variety of educational and recreational activities for youth and adults including after-school tutoring, youth sports leagues, nutrition and health education, fitness and meals for seniors, as well as other important community-related programs. The center is an integral part of impacting and revitalizing the East St. Louis community and their youth.
An active Partners in Education member with the Talladega County Board of Education, Honda employs 4,500 Alabama associates at its vehicle and engine operations in Lincoln. Honda produces the Odyssey minivan, Honda Pilot SUV and V-6 engines on its two assembly lines. The automaker has the capacity to produce more than 300,000 vehicles and engines annually at its $1.27 billion Alabama facility.