Track and field Olympian Al Joyner and the husband of the late Florence “Flo-Jo” Griffith Joyner worked out a deal with Rene Nezhoda, the host of the A&E show Storage Wars, to purchase sports memorabilia items that originally belonged to his deceased wife, TMZ reports.
In a video posted by TMZ, Nezhoda said he purchased the sports memorabilia from the owner of a Bargain Hunters located in Poway, California. The thrift store owner had previously purchased Flo-Jo’s storage locker in San Diego, according to TMZ.
The storage unit housed Flo-Jo’s iconic Olympic jacket and 1988 autographed track shoes she wore during the 100-meter and 200-meter sprint at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, where she won three gold medals. Also included among the items were rare photos and an autographed Flo-Jo Barbie doll, according to MadameNoire.
Nezhoda initially wanted to liquidate Joyner’s items on eBay but said he would consider selling her collectibles back to her family, and her husband jumped at the opportunity.
Al eventually met with Nezhoda in San Diego.
“I want to be very clear. This is not charity; I am making a profit. Al knows what I paid for it and he is the only person that knows what I paid for it,” Nezhoda said, according to TMZ. “I told him the profit I want to make. It’s like a track runner, you want to win.”
The TV host explained that he worked out a deal with Al, who expressed his gratitude.
“Rene is great,” Al said, according to TMZ. “I know he is on a TV show and all that, but he really is a great guy and really warms my heart.”
Al said he was most excited about retrieving Flo-Jo’s weight belt because she used it when the couple used to exercise together.
He added that purchasing the cherished keepsakes was a “blessing in disguise.”
Flo-Jo died in 1998 from suffocation after suffering from an epileptic seizure.
