Actress, producer and director Kerry Washington, 45, took to Instagram to pay homage to Olympic athlete Wilma Rudolph, The Source reports.
Washington honored her legacy during Black History Month, as it also coincides with the Winter Olympics, by posting a series of pictures of Rudolph on her Instagram page. To resemble Rudolph's short coiffed hairstyle, Washington donned a short pixie wig styled by Kim Kimble. She also wore an athletic U.S.A. sweatshirt similar to Rudolph's and copied the athlete holding her gold medal around her neck.
"Wilma Rudolph was not the first Black nor Female athlete but she was the first ATHLETE ever to win three gold medals." The Little Fires Everywhere actress said, also shouting out Erin Jackson, who recently won an Olympic gold medal in speed skating.
Born on June 23, 1940, in Saint Bethlehem, Tennessee, Rudolph was diagnosed with polio and scarlet fever, forcing her to wear a brace on one of her legs, according to the National Women's History Museum. Rudolph's doctor said she would never walk again, yet her mother told her otherwise.
Through the care of her parents and siblings, Rudolph regained the use of her leg and immediately turned to sports. She took an interest in basketball and then pivoted to track and field, competing on the collegiate level while still in high school. Rudolph then competed in the 1956 Olympic games, bringing home a bronze medal in the 4×100 relay.
Four years later, she became the first American female athlete to win three gold medals in track and field at the same Olympic game, according to NWHM. She also broke three world records, earning the title of "the fastest woman in the world."
The Associated Press awarded her the Female Athlete of the Year Award in 1961, and the following year, she decided to retire from the sport. Rudolph was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame and completed her degree at Tennessee State University and worked in education. She died from a brain tumor on Nov. 12, 1994.
