Jesse Owens- More than a Great Athlete

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Recommended: Racism in the sports industry

Jesse Owens is one of the most well known runners to ever set foot on a track. He battled his way into the Olympics. He proved to the world that it doesn't matter where you come from. He stood apart from all the other runners, black or white. not because of the records he set, the titles he earned, or the medals he gained, but because of the way he gave people hope. For what he did for races all over the world, Jesse Owens truly was the greatest man alive.

Jesse was never thought of as a runner. He was a sickly child; the Devil's Cold is what his mother called it. That didn't stop him, though. He began to run. Quarter miles were his best race. As a fourth-grade kid, he won everything his grade and below. Hungry for more, he started racing older kids. He wouldn't let the older kids think he was scared, so he would stare them down before a race. His cold eyes told them that he wanted to win and he was going to fight for it. That wasn't enough, though. Becoming more and more discouraged, he went to Coach Charles Riley. Seeing his problem, he took him to a horse race and made him wa...

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