Helen stephens 1936 olympics adam

Helen Stephens (1918 – 1994)

Helen Stephens was an Olympic champion. She won two gold medals at the 1936 Olympics. She accomplished this decades before schools had athletic programs for girls. As an amateur, professional, and retired athlete, Helen Stephens was an important role model for athletic females of all ages.

Childhood

Helen Herring Stephens was born on February 3, 1918, on a 130-acre farm near Fulton, Missouri. Her parents were Frank E. and Bertie Herring Stephens. She had a brother named Robert Lee. “From the time I was a small child I was in training, only I didn’t know it,” Helen once said. “I was walking, running, doing chores, building up my body, my lung capacity, my wind, my endurance, everything that people have to train for today.”  Her cousin’s horse also helped her. “I would grab the stirrup and run with the horse.”

In 1926, two years before women were allowed to compete in Olympic track and field events, eight-year-old Helen had a dream.