Question
Here is the question : WHO WAS THE FIRST ATHLETE TO WIN THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM?
Option
Here is the option for the question :
- Babe Ruth
- Muhammad Ali
- Jesse Owens
- Jim Thorpe
The Answer:
And, the answer for the the question is :
Explanation:
Even though John F. Kennedy selected swimming instructor Robert J.H. Kiphuth among his first set of awardees, former star football player and current President Gerald Ford was the first to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to an American athlete. Jesse Owens, an Olympic track athlete and gold winner, was recognized by the Ford Motor Company in 1976. Owens had won four gold medals at the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Nazi Germany. In 1977, Joe DiMaggio became the first individual athlete competing in a team sport to be awarded the medal. Joe was a baseball player.
Jesse Owens, a track and field athlete from the United States, made history both on and off the field. He is best known for his stunning performance at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, where he won four gold medals and shattered world records. But Owens also broke barriers as an African American athlete in a time when segregation and racism were rampant. In recognition of his achievements, Owens was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1976, becoming the first athlete to receive the honor.
Owens was born in Alabama in 1913 and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. He began running track in high school and quickly established himself as one of the best sprinters in the country. In 1935, Owens set three world records and tied another in the span of just 45 minutes at the Big Ten Championships, cementing his status as a track and field superstar.
The following year, Owens traveled to Berlin to compete in the Summer Olympics, which were being held under the watchful eye of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. Owens won gold medals in the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, the long jump, and the 4×100-meter relay, setting new Olympic and world records in the process. His performance was a powerful rebuke to Hitler’s claims of Aryan supremacy and a testament to Owens’ incredible talent and perseverance.
After the Olympics, Owens returned to the United States, where he faced discrimination and segregation despite his athletic achievements. He struggled to make ends meet and eventually turned to various business ventures, including running his own public relations firm and working for the Ford Motor Company.
In 1976, Owens was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Gerald Ford. The award recognized Owens’ contributions to American sports and his role in breaking down racial barriers. Owens passed away just a few months later, but his legacy lives on as a symbol of courage, perseverance, and excellence.
Since Owens received the first Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded to an athlete, many other sports figures have been honored with the award, including Muhammad Ali, Billie Jean King, Michael Jordan, and Tiger Woods. The award serves as a recognition of the important role that sports play in American culture, and the impact that athletes can have both on and off the field.
Jesse Owens was an extraordinary athlete who made history both on and off the field. His performance at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin remains one of the most iconic moments in sports history, and his legacy as a trailblazer and symbol of courage and perseverance endures to this day. Owens’ recognition as the first athlete to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom was a fitting tribute to his contributions to American sports and his role in breaking down racial barriers.