Wilma Rudolph defied the odds to win three gold medals at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, a record for American women. Rudolph's Olympic achievement resulted from incredible determination, and in this strikingly illustrated picture book biography, she is profiled as an individual of remarkable energy and fortitude from the time she was a small girl. Disabled by polio as a child, it was thought that Wilma Rudolph would never walk again, let alone run her way into the history books. With bold full-color illustrations set against intriguing sepia-toned photographs depicting the text's background elements, artist David Diaz captures Rudolph's spirit, power and pride, as well as the loving, supportive African-American family and community in which she was raised. Author Kathleen Krull grounds the story with details of Rudolph's family life, her wishes and dreams, and the times in which she lived, so that the athlete's extraordinary accomplishments never overwhelm the human story that is at the heart of the book. Honor Book, 1996 CCBC Caldecott Award Discussion (Ages 5-10)

Before Wilma Rudolph was five years old, polio had paralyzed her left leg. Everyone said she would never walk again. But Wilma refused to believe it. Not only would she walk again, she vowed, she'd run. And she did run--all the way to the Olympics, where she became the first American woman to earn three gold medals in a single olympiad. This dramatic and inspiring true story is illustrated in bold watercolor and acrylic paintings by Caldecott Medal-winning artist David Diaz.