Chris Gardner was born on February 9, 1954, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Robert E. Richards, an ordained minister nicknamed the Vaulting Vicar, won Olympic gold medals in 1952 at Helsinki, Finland, and in 1956 at Melbourne, Australia, using aluminum poles to clear bars set at just under 15 feet. Bob Richards, the only male two-time winner of the Olympic pole vault, who in the 1950s became a hero of American Cold War competition with the Soviet Union and a breakfast-table hero to. He emerged from the pit smiling for the first time during the day, The Times reported. Richards was elected to the United States Olympic Hall of Fame in 1983, and to the United States National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1975. And he was perfect on the Wheaties box: a muscular all-American with a smile that radiated confidence, health and upright living. I have been with my husband for four years, and married for about a year. Many people have a life experience that can motivate others. One of the finest motivational speakers in history, Richards has delivered over 12,000 talks in his lifetime. 1. His image was on Wheaties boxes from 1958 to 1970, and from 1958 to 1972 he was a ubiquitous presence on television and radio and made numerous national tours, speaking to school and community groups, presenting awards at athletic banquets and generating torrents of publicity. Richards, of Champaign, Ill., was a six-time NCAA champion at the University of Illinois. He made three U.S. Olympic Teams in two events: the 1948, 1952, and 1956 Summer Olympics as a pole vaulter and as a decathlete in 1956. He was the voice during the early 1950s of Sky King, the hero of a radio adventure series, and was a WGN radio program host from 1950 to 1956. The pole-vault competition lasted more than four hours. He was 97. Soviet athletes won the medals competition, 98 (37 gold) to 74 (32 gold) for the United States. Richards in 1951. Check out our list of the other top Christian motivational speakers here. He was 97. He tallied about 66,000 votes out of 92.6 million as President Ronald Reagan and the Republicans trounced Walter Mondale, the former Democratic vice president and senator from Minnesota. His parents were divorced when he was a teenager, but a minister gave him a home, steered him away from the streets and awakened his interest in religion. Santos Tries a New Tack in Washington: He Introduces a Bill. He was 97. He is also the first athlete to appear on the front of a Wheaties cereal box in 1958. Tim Tebow for YMCA. Keynote Speakers and Entertainers for Live and Virtual Events, Presentations & Speeches. Up at 6:30, he must motor two hours to Louisville to appear on a morning television show, where he will follow a trained cockatoo. In 1970 he married Vonda Joan Beaird, an actress. He also ran for president on the far-right Populist Party ticket in 1984, espousing a platform that called for abolishing personal income taxes, cutting the federal budget in half, repudiating the national debt, deporting illegal immigrants and denying the right to vote to anyone on welfare for more than a year. He won 11 championship titles at the Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden. His father was a telephone lineman. The duel for the gold medal was waged between Richards and fellow American Don Laz. His most popular book is The 7 Habits of Highly . In 1970 he married Vonda Joan Beaird, an actress. Jason Garrett for Bynum School. He is in a better place now and at peace.". Jim Rohn. His autobiography, Heart of a Champion, was published in 1959. Richards became the face and voice of the cereal known as the Breakfast of Champions.. American pole vaulter Bob Richards, left, talks with Brazilian pole vaulter Helcio Buck-Silva during a break in a training session in Helsinki, July 11, 1952. That distinction, as Richards acknowledged, belonged to Cornelius Warmerdam, a Californian who used bamboo poles to set world records of about 15 feet 8 inches in the early 1940s. He earned a bachelors degree in 1947 and a masters in 1948. He retired to a ranch in Waco, where he owned a golf course. "There will only ever be one Bob Richards. Rain ending early. Although he broke Olympic records and Russian hearts, and although he became one of Americas most lionized and familiar celebrities a motivational speaker and Wheaties pitchman who personified wholesome values and once ran for president of the United States on a third-party ticket Richards, even at the peak of his athletic power, was not the greatest American pole-vaulter of all time. Down to Business: Helping children learn to communicate empowers whole family, speech-language pathologist says, Richard Zoller likes to take charge for Mount Carmel. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Clean Responsive WordPress Newspaper, Magazine, News and Blog theme. And he was perfect on the Wheaties box: a muscular all-American with a smile that radiated confidence, health and upright living. His son, Brandon,. And Richards made history, becoming the onlymale two-time winner of the Olympic pole vault, and with another record: 14 feet 11 inches. Besides winning two gold medals in the Olympics in the 1950s, he took a bronze medal at the 1948 Olympics in London and gold at the Pan American Games in 1951 and 1955. Known alternatively as the Vaulting Vicar and the Pole Vaulting Pastor, Mr. Richards was one of the most dominating athletes of his time, leaping as high as 15 feet 6 inches with a stiff metal pole in the days before flexible fiberglass helped Olympic vaulters cross over bars nearly 20 feet in height. Creating an off-Earth economy and multi-planet civilization will safeguard the long term prospects of humanity. His son Paul confirmed the death. Long before modern athletes began riding fiberglass poles to unimaginable heights, the Rev. Thats not what the Olympic spirit is all about.. 1. Bob Richards is a remarkable human being. Bob Richards, the only male two-time winner of the Olympic pole vault, who in the 1950s became a hero of American Cold War competition with the Soviet Union and a breakfast-table hero to millions as the first champion on the front of the Wheaties box, died on Sunday at his home in Waco, Texas. Actually, hell take every charge. He emerged from the pit smiling for the first time during the day, The Times reported. Required fields are marked *. Signup today! According to U.S.A Track and Field, Richards had been the oldest living track and field gold medalist at the time of his death. The family that plays and prays together stays together, Richards intoned on countless occasions. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. Soviet athletes won the medals competition, 98 (37 gold) to 74 (32 gold) for the United States. His autobiography, Heart of a Champion, was published in 1959. Everything that happens to you can happen for good if you have this spirit. He earned a bachelors degree in 1947 and a masters in 1948. Be a part of the solution, not the problem." ~ Stephen Covey. In 1946, he was ordained and transferred to the University of Illinois. (Anonymous/AP). Bob Richards, an ordained minister who became the first athlete to appear on the front of a Wheaties box after he won two Olympic gold medals in the pole vault during the 1950s, an accomplishment he parlayed into a successful career as a motivational speaker, died Feb. 26 at his home in Waco, Tex. *, Bob Richards: Pole-Vaulting Hero of the Cold War Era, Why Elite Law and Medical Schools Cant Stand U.S. News, Three Skills From Psychotherapy That Can Change Your Brain, After Congressman George Santoss Resume Unraveled, a Reporter Asks Now What?, The Winsted Citizen: Ralph Naders Gift to His Hometown. They have a beautiful son and have a date set for their wedding. You are sup, DEAR ABBY: My brother-in-law and his fiancee, Shana, have been dating for five years. His story tells of a man who discovered his purpose in life and remained true to it. Cold War tensions again played out in the 1956 Melbourne Games. The story of his rise from rags to riches is one of the most inspiring stories of the 21 st century. He graduated from high school in 1943, and in 1944 he enrolled at the Brethren-affiliated Bridgewater College in Virginia. Richards was elected to the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1983 after being inducted into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame in 1975, according to U.S.A. Track and Field. An ordained minister known as the Vaulting Vicar, he was an Olympic gold medal winner and the first athlete to appear on the front of Wheaties boxes. When Richards finally triumphed with an Olympic record of 14 feet 11 inches, a defeated Soviet rival, Viktor Knyazev, clasped him in a bear hug. An American motivational speaker, author and entrepreneur. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Richards hugged him back, for which he was criticized by some American officials and members of the news media. These people who want to wave the flag and play the band, thats not the real spirit of the Olympics, he told The New York Times years later. Although he hung up his cleats long ago, he continues to travel around the country as a motivational speaker. His parents were divorced when he was a teenager, but a minister gave him a home, steered him away from the streets and awakened his interest in religion. He received the Sullivan Award in 1951 as the nations best amateur athlete. He had been a pastor in California only briefly, but the dual image of minister and champion athlete was irresistible on the speaking circuit. Everything that happens to you can happen for good if you have this spirit. Bob Odenkirk Tells The Incredible Story Of How Chris Farley's Infamous Motivational Speaker Sketch Came To Exist. In 1970, he bicycled 3,300 miles from Los Angeles to New York to promote fitness. Cold War tensions again played out in the 1956 Melbourne Games. He won a bronze medal in his first Olympic go-around, followed by back-to-back gold medals. Bob Richards, the only male two-time winner of the Olympic pole vault, who in the 1950s became a hero of American Cold War competition with the Soviet Union and a breakfast-table hero to millions as the first champion on the front of the Wheaties box, died Sunday at his home in Waco, Texas. Until 2012, he had lived on a ranch in Santo, Texas, which he named the Crossbar Ranch and which was involved in numerous commercial activities, including oil and gas exploration and horse and cattle grazing. But from 1947 to 1957, he dominated national and international competitions by clearing 15 feet more than 125 times. Richards' two sons followed in his footsteps and also became pole vaulters. Robert E. Richards, an ordained minister nicknamed the Vaulting Vicar, won Olympic gold medals in 1952 at Helsinki, Finland, and in 1956 at Melbourne, Australia, using aluminum poles to clear bars set at just under 15 feet. "It's a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.". You have permission to edit this article. His autobiography, Heart of a Champion, was published in 1959. Daymond John . Richards himself never vaulted more than 15 feet 6 inches. The family that plays and prays together stays together, Richards intoned on countless occasions. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Todays top male vaulters, with refined techniques and springy fiberglass poles that bow almost to U shapes, routinely soar over crossbars set above 19 feet. These are the people you need to be following, listening to and watching on YouTube. Richards is survived by two sons, Paul and Robert Jr., and a daughter, Carol Stasiewicz, from his first marriage; two sons, Thomas and Brandon, and a daughter, Tammy Richards LeSure, from his second; a brother, Kenny; 12 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. She died in 2019. He received the Sullivan Award in 1951 as the nations best amateur athlete. The pole-vault competition lasted more than four hours. Richards became the face and voice of the cereal known as the Breakfast of Champions.. Every day we present the best quotes! 1 pole vaulterfor eight consecutive years. What Ive Learned in My First Hundred Years, that came out Tuesday. When in was in Jr High School my PE/Health teachers had 30 minute films of Bob, that they showed us. Stephen Richards Covey was an American educator, author, businessman, and keynote speaker. His son Paul confirmed the death. By ROBERT D. McFADDEN Alex Traub contributed reporting. Bob Richards, the only male two-time winner of the Olympic pole vault, who in the 1950s became a hero of American Cold War competition with the Soviet Union and a breakfast-table hero to millions as the first champion on the front of the Wheaties box, died Sunday at his home in Waco, Texas. USA Track and Field confirmed his death. [1] He won gold medals in pole vault in both 1952 and 1956, becoming the only . The Reverend Bob Richards was a theology professor in California when he qualified for the U.S. Olympic team as a pole vaulter in 1952. Sportswriters called him "the Vaulting Vicar" because he was an ordained minister. These people who want to wave the flag and play the band, thats not the real spirit of the Olympics, he told The New York Times years later. Call us at 800-916-6008 for celebrity booking. The 1952 Olympic Games were a symbolic watershed in the Cold War. The 1952 Olympic Games were a symbolic watershed in the Cold War. 805.965.1400. info@bigspeak.com. LONDON - Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have been asked to give up the royal residence gifted to them to use by Queen Elizabeth II. He retired to a ranch in Waco, where he owned a golf course. Warmerdam, known as Dutch, might have been an odds-on Olympic favorite, but he never got to compete because the quadrennial Games were suspended in 1940 and 1944 for World War II, when he was serving as a Navy officer. In 1946, he was ordained and transferred to the University of Illinois. The Biden administration is advancing a fuel policy shift demanded by Midwest governors who expect it will encourage filling stations to sell higher-ethanol E15 gasoline and offer it year round. Richards is survived by two sons, Paul and Robert Jr., and a daughter, Carol Stasiewicz, from his first marriage; two sons, Thomas and Brandon, and a daughter, Tammy Richards LeSure, from his second; a brother, Kenny; 12 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. ICMI Speakers and Entertainers truly represent the best of the best. He also ran for president on the far-right Populist Party ticket in 1984, espousing a platform that called for abolishing personal income taxes, cutting the federal budget in half, repudiating the national debt, deporting illegal immigrants and denying the right to vote to anyone on welfare for more than a year. His hands were pointed toward heaven in an attitude of prayer., Your email address will not be published. A motivational speaker (sometimes called an inspirational speaker) is a speaker who offers talks that inspire audiences. Nous, Rivals, faisons partie de la famille de marques Yahoo. Todays top male vaulters, with refined techniques and springy fiberglass poles that bow almost to U shapes, routinely soar over crossbars set above 19 feet. Bob Richards, an ordained minister who became the first athlete to appear on the front of a Wheaties box after he won two Olympic gold medals in the pole vault during the 1950s, an accomplishment he parlayed into a successful career as a motivational speaker, died Feb. 26 at his home in Waco. Richards grew up as a "skinny poor kid from Illinois with stuttering speech," his son wrote. His son Paul confirmed the death. Inspirational speaker: Typically someone who speaks on an emotional topic. Richards in 1951. He emerged from the pit smiling for the first time during the day, the Times reported. Even Richardss son Brandon, as a teenager using a fiberglass pole in 1985, vaulted 18 feet 2 inches, which was then a national record for a high schooler and stood for 14 years. He retired to a ranch in Waco, where he owned a golf course. Richards also earned two gold medals for pole vault in the 1951 and 1955 Pan American Games. He received the Sullivan Award in 1951 as the nations best amateur athlete. Russian athletes were participating for the first time since the Czarist days before the 1917 Russian Revolution, and Helsinki was alive with tensions as the United States rolled to 76 medals (40 gold) to the Soviet Unions 71 (22 gold). Simrin Singh is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News. Wrote Brandon Richards, We lost a national treasure, adding that his father always motivated us kids the same way to be the best we could be. He took home bronze in pole vaulting in his first year, but secured the gold medal in each of his next two appearances. He eventually overcame his speech impediment and would travel across the country to give sermons while competing at the University of Illinois, his son said. But he escaped the street life into religion and athletics. And Richards made history, becoming the only male two-time winner of the Olympic pole vault, and with another record: 14 feet 11-1/2 inches. He emerged from the pit smiling for the first time during the day, the Times reported. Goals give purpose. Robert Eugene Richards was born on Feb. 20, 1926, in Champaign, Illinois, the third of five children of Leslie and Margaret (Palfrey) Richards. Teachers had 30 minute films of Bob, that Came out Tuesday cereal known as the nations amateur. From Los Angeles to New York to promote fitness College in Virginia footsteps and became! Tries a New Tack in Washington: he Introduces a Bill 1943, you... Madison Square Garden, Rivals, faisons partie de la famille de marques Yahoo his son wrote nations best athlete... Out our list of the news media College in Virginia he owned golf. Spirit is all about.. 1 he is in a better place now at. Stays together, Richards intoned on countless occasions around the country as a motivational (! 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bob richards motivational speaker