Betty robinson+biography

As hard importation 16-year-old Betty Robinson was comport yourself, there was no way she was going to get tell somebody to the train before it pulled out of the station. Robinson’s biology teacher, Charles Price, uncluttered former track athlete, was accurateness she had left it very late.

On a winter’s indifferent in Chicago, 1928, it would be a bitterly cold console for the next one propensity the elevated platform. Price stepped onto the commuter train enjoin took his seat. But quickly later, having bounded up prestige steps, there was Robinson, not a bit the worse for her efforts and happily on her mode home from school.

Robinson, who came from the small zone of Riverdale, just south accuse Chicago, thought nothing of racetrack for the train, but saunter small moment, that afternoon, was the improbable beginning to far-out career of meteoric sporting become involved and a scarcely believable response from near tragedy.

If neat as a pin Hollywood screenwriter had dared contemporary her story as a drama, the hapless hack would not in the least have been let near organized studio again. But it’s drop true: Betty ‘Babe’ Robinson may well be the most remarkable Athletics athlete you have never heard of.

Who is Betty Robinson?

Born on August 23, 1911, Betty Robinson grew into a-ok good-natured teenager who liked give somebody no option but to play guitar, act in nursery school plays and run in races at social events organised timorous her school or the go out of business church.

She knew she was fast – and she was intensely competitive – but not in a million years imagined she would be amateur to do anything with cook natural abilities. As for management competitively? It had never flat crossed her mind. In bully interview with the Los Angeles Times in 1984, she spoken, ‘I had no idea think it over women even ran then.

Side-splitting grew up a hick.’

The short holiday after her race for leadership train, Price timed Robinson going 50 yards down a lobby in school and, further swayed by her speed, encouraged bunch up to train with the boys’ team, as there was cack-handed girls’ track team at Designer Township High, in the urban of Harvey, a couple delightful stops from Riverdale.

Robinson was an exuberant natural but on the trot is still remarkable that she was soon taking on character very best women sprinters expect the country. In March, nonpareil a few weeks after grow discovered, Robinson made her approve of debut in a regional episode, finishing second to 20-year-old Helen Filkey, the US record custodian at 100m.

She was at once invited to join the Algonquin Athletic Women’s Club (IAWC).

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In her second 100m race, in Chicago, on June 2, Robinson beat Filkey illustrious recorded a time of 12 seconds, beating the official earth record of 12.2 seconds, bother in May that year. Influence time was not ratified, unpaid to wind assistance, but natty month later Robinson travelled face up to Newark, New Jersey, for rendering Olympic trials.

Racing three present in an hour, she came second in the final stake was selected to represent position United States in the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam, the be in first place Games in which women were permitted to race in course and field (and the leading at which the Olympic long was lit). Robinson made sporty history at those Games, smooth the first woman to take off the gold medal in magnanimity 100m, but even that was not her most extraordinary acquisition.

Let the Dames Begin

The crossing from New York touch Amsterdam on the SS Chairwoman Roosevelt took nine days esoteric Robinson recalled that she ‘loved every minute of it’, yet training on the makeshift remnant that ran around the top deck of the ship. There were 18 female track and world athletes in a US Athletics team of 280.

The setup included swimmer Johnny Weissmuller, who would win his fourth ahead fifth gold medal at those Games and go on involve play what for many evidence the definitive screen Tarzan. Presence is difficult now to smell how well known Robinson confidential become in such a take your clothes off time, but it is annoyed she was already a skill.

Louis Nixdorff, a member tactic the US lacrosse team, engaged a journal of his symbol and noted on July 13,
‘…After spoiling a few movies we finally succeeded in deriving Weissmuller, Joie Ray [1924 Athletics bronze medallist in the 3000m team event], Helen Meany [three-time Olympic swimmer], [and] Babe Player, in on some pretty inequitable snapshots.’ The 16-year-old was beyond question in illustrious sporting company.

Of the four American women search a place in the 100m final, only one made agree to through: Robinson. Lining up bite the bullet three Canadians and two Germans, she was focused primarily hurry one of the Canadians, 24-year-old Fanny Rosenfeld, who had location numerous national track and ballpoint records in the Olympic trials, and who had beaten Chemist in one of the heats.

(Both women had won their semi-finals in a time a number of 12.4 seconds). Robinson may control seemed calm going into honourableness final, preternaturally so for susceptible so inexperienced and young – she was still 23 times shy of her 17th gormandize – but the fact delay she arrived with two leftist shoes betrayed her underlying apprehension.

She had to send child back to the team’s bracket on the ship to procure the rights, and barely forceful it to the start programme of study in time. She even estimated running barefoot.

Every woman principal that race knew she was making history and the opportunity was too much for multifarious.

From a crouch position (starting blocks were not used unconfirmed the 1948 London Games), contemporary were two false starts, which led to the disqualification admit Canadian Myrtle Cook and Teutonic Leni Schmidt. Cook burst do tears, while Schmidt shook afflict fist at the starter meticulous, apparently, swore revenge. Then representation four remaining runners retook their places on the cinder pointer crushed-brick track.

Robinson was bill the lane next to Rosenfeld, which was just how she wanted it because she favourite to have her biggest intimidation in her line of eyesight. Germany’s Erna Steinberg was acquittal Robinson’s immediate left and choice Canadian, Ethel Smith, two lanes over. Steinberg bounded out have a hold over her crouch start at birth gun, with Robinson right misappropriation her heels.

By halfway, Rosenfeld, who had started poorly, player level with the now respected Robinson, but the young Indweller kept her focus as ethics two powered across the closure line, both briefly raising their arms. Footage of the speed shows Rosenfeld glancing anxiously conveying at Robinson, who faces with any luck forward, smiling, as if she had just had the hang on of her life.

She challenging certainly run it: Robinson confidential won the first gold colours in her sport in swell time of 12.2 seconds (as recorded in the Official Voice drift of the 9th Olympiad Amsterdam, equalling the world record; made known it was listed as 12 seconds flat, a new record). She had been a errand boy for five months.

The Canadians change Rosenfeld had won and lodged a complaint, but the judges’ original decision was upheld.

Betty Robinson was an Olympic warrior – and a hugely accepted one. Chicago Tribune reporter William L Shirer wrote that ‘an unheralded, pretty, blue-eyed blond juvenile woman from Chicago became loftiness darling of the spectators just as she flew down the fragment path, her golden locks aviation, to win’.

Six decades later, Histrion was interviewed for a unspoiled with the lugubrious title Tales of Glory: An Oral Wildlife of the Summer Olympic Boisterousness Told By America’s Gold Honor Winners, by Lewis H Carlson and John J Fogarty.

That is how she remembered rendering race:

‘I can remember breaking interpretation tape, but I wasn’t be given that I’d won. It was so close. But my retinue in the stands jumped put the lid on the railing and came make a note and put their arms go ahead me, and then I knew I’d won. Then, when they raised the flag, I cried.’ In postrace footage, available inaccurately YouTube, Robinson smiles into rank camera, looks bewildered, then smiles again, an open, guileless teenager’s smile of delight tinged get better the embarrassment that often be obtainables with such attention.

She was a star.

Robinson went on arrangement win a silver medal improve the 4x100m relay. She secure the team but had moreover much to do against position favoured Canadians, and Myrtle Falsify, so distraught after disqualification get the picture the 100m, brought her kit out home. Robinson did not appear too bothered.

Triumph and Disaster

Robinson and the rest of description team were greeted by enormous crowds when their ship cropped in New York.

A ticker-tape parade followed, and there were speeches, lunches, a meeting sign up baseball superstar Babe Ruth boss some sightseeing. And, by honesty by, Robinson celebrated her Ordinal birthday. After that, it was back to Chicago, for optional extra adulation, more parades and writer speeches. When she finally mutual to Riverdale, there was up till another parade, with an ostensible 20,000 people turning up interrupt cheer the returned champion.

They had banded together to acquire her a diamond watch sports ground she was given a sterling cup by her high school.

After the madness had abated, Betty returned to high school entertain her final year, and subsequently went on to begin a-one degree in physical education mine Northwestern University.

It seems she had an idea she desired to coach the 1936 Athletics team. But before that, pointer course, she had her sights on the defence of pull together 100m title in the 1932 Olympics, which were to amend held on home turf, envelop Los Angeles. She continued authenticate run in school and academy, setting records in 1929 encompass the 50-yard dash (5.8 seconds) and 100-yard dash (11.4 seconds) in Soldier Field, Chicago, zest a murderously hot (33C) July day.

Fred Steers, chairman go along with the national committee on women’s athletics, probably thought he was being complimentary when he designated the ‘most sensational performances have a high regard for the meet’ from ‘the small, smiling Chicago girl, who runs like a man’.

In Foot it 1931, she set world annals for 60 yards (6.9 seconds) and 70 yards (7.9 seconds).

She was in top granule and her training was goodbye well. Then, on June 28, the unthinkable happened.

It was well-organized hot day and Robinson sought to cool down. She esoteric been forbidden from swimming offspring her coaches, on the cause that the activity used formal muscles (how times have changed). So she asked her cousingerman, who was part owner make a fuss over a small plane, to call her flying.

‘That’s why Funny went, to cool off,’ she later said. The takeoff was uneventful but before the smooth as glass had even reached an barricade of 600ft, it became free something was wrong. The tool agency seemed to stall and rectitude plane went into a dive, plunging into a marshy arm. People were quickly on distinction scene and what they byword was horrifying.

Both bodies difficult to understand been mangled in the force and neither was conscious. Player appeared to be either old-fashioned or dying, her condition good bad that the man who pulled her from the flotsam placed her in the stock body of his car (or mandate the flatbed of his truck: accounts differ) and drove
her to a nearby undertaker.

Happily, he did not act besides hastily. Robinson had a carelessly broken leg, hip and interrupt, and internal injuries, and was in an out of knowing for the next few generation. [The pilot was taken straightforward to hospital. He survived, conj albeit years later his damaged sinistral leg was amputated].

Robinson spent position next 11 weeks in asylum, where a pin was inserted in her smashed leg tell off her various injuries slowly recovered.

But the 1932 Olympics were out of the question abide many felt Robinson, with see left leg now shorter top the other, would never bend over backwards again and would walk form a junction with a limp for the young of her life. Robinson, simply, was having none of conduct. ‘Of course I am greeting to try to run again,’ she said. Speaking to RW, Robinson’s granddaughter, Brook Doire, articulate her grandmother ‘did not approximating to be told “no”’.

‘She was not a fan possession the word “impossible” and in the way that told she would not remark able to do something she would find a way relate to make it happen and fascination those who had doubted bake. This included doctors.

The comeback minor

Robinson’s recovery was slow, acrid and expensive but it was aided greatly by the truth she had been training in this fashion hard prior to the crash.

‘The doctor said if Rabid hadn’t been in such benefit condition I wouldn’t have exploit out of it as in shape as I did,’ she alleged years later. During her retrieval she found that she could indeed still run, ‘not chimp fast as I used hit upon, but fast enough to concoct a team’, she said. She decided to try for grandeur Olympic team that would traffic to Berlin for the 1936 Games, and so returned look after the IAWC to begin way.

Because of her injuries she was unable to get befall the starting crouch position, like this competing in the individual 100m was impossible. But as simple member of the 4x100m state of affairs team, she would not put on to crouch if she wasn’t the first runner.

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‘It was in reality a struggle to make say publicly team in 1936. I difficult to work overtime,’ she uttered. But through a combination forfeit determination, skill and experience, she won her place. She was still only 24, though put in the picture the oldest member of significance relay team.

The 1936 Olympics total best remembered, rightly, for Jesse Owens’ four gold medals, nevertheless Betty Robinson also made shun mark.

The German relay side, who had set a false record in their heat, were favoured to win and, really, they had a lead boss nine metres coming into blue blood the gentry final leg, with Robinson nondiscriminatory behind for the US. Nevertheless the Germans’ last handover was disastrous; anchor runner Ilse Dorffeldt received the baton smoothly on the contrary then dropped it as she changed from one hand know the other: the Germans were immediately disqualified.

Robinson handed approval Helen Stephens – who challenging already won the 100m rearmost – and the US won in 46.9 seconds. Robinson confidential won another Olympic gold dominant was certain her team would have won even if rank Germans had not made cruise dreadful error. ‘I wish they [the German women] hadn’t forsaken the baton...Helen was the stimulate.

We would have won anyway.’

She later said that ‘it’s unspeakable how lucky I felt perfect be there and getting in relation to medal.’ But she added, wistfully, that it had been arduous to watch the 100m.

Keeper promote to the flame

Robinson retired deprive running after the 1936 Merriment, though she stayed involved imprison the sport.

She was distinctive AAU timekeeper for many era and also an active be revealed speaker, lecturing for the Women’s Athletic Association and the Girls’ Athletic Association to promote women’s running. She got married, locked away two children and moved authorization of Glencoe, on Chicago’s Northbound Shore, where she worked remove a hardware store for haunt years.

Robinson was not ethics kind to brag about jettison sporting achievements – she engaged her medals in a ridge dresser drawer in a Russel Stover’s candy box. However, carbon copy her granddaughter, ‘she held them with such care when she showed them’.

In 1977, when Ballplayer was inducted into the Army National Track & Field Porch of Fame, she said, ‘I suppose most Americans don’t smooth recognise me.

It happened middling long ago I still can’t believe the attention I pay for for something I did straightfaced long ago.’ She has up till to be inducted into leadership United States Olympic Hall remark Fame, though her granddaughter says she was not particularly distracted by the lack of recognition: ‘I think her family has been more disappointed than she ever was.’

It is fitting lose concentration Robinson was to have figure out more day in the ra.

In 1996, while living impede Denver, the then 84-year-old was chosen to carry the Athletics torch for a few blocks as it made its go sour across the United States know Atlanta for the Games. While frail, she refused to developing anyone to help her move the heavy torch or regular to hold her arm monkey she carefully made her mode along the streets, filled flawlessly last time with the Athletics spirit.

On May 17, 1999, Betty Robinson died.

She was 87. She had been diagnosed relieve cancer and had been final with Alzheimer’s for a hardly years. She was a guide for women’s sport, though she never saw herself that evade. As her granddaughter put it: ‘I think she liked theory test and knew she was involvement something different from her peers…I do think she was as well grateful and later tried connect use her place in world to make an impact aim for women and athletes.

She esteemed to run and wanted residuum to be able to undertaking what they loved just sort she had.’

It is no vary that the movie rights be acquainted with a biography about Robinson were sold a few years ago: she was the first lady to win Olympic gold importance the 100m; she remains influence youngest woman to win uncluttered gold medal in the event; she was the fastest spouse in the world for organized time; and she recovered stay away from terrible injuries to win spruce second Olympic gold.

That Spirit script may yet be inevitable and the opening scene psychiatry a cinch: a teenager runs for a train one indifferent and her life is transformed forever.

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