Alice Coachman is the first black woman to win an Olympic medal. She was born in Albany, Georgia and made history at the 1948 Olympics in London by leaping a record-breaking height of 5 feet 6 and 1/8 inches in the high jump finals. Her, Alice Coachman Track and Field Foundation has helped many young, older, and retired athletes. As a child she lived through segregation and was not allowed to train or compete in organized sports events so she improvised her training, by running barefoot in fields and on dirt roads and using old equipment she found. When she attended Madison High School, Coachman met Coach Harry E. Lash who nurtured her talent. She then caught the attention of the Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama which offered her a scholarship. Coachman was already a legend even before entering the Institute since she had already beat the high school and college high jump record, barefoot in the Amateur Athlete Union, national championships track and field competition. In 1946 she enrolled in Albany State College and was the national champion in the 50 and 100 meter races, 400 meter relay and high jump. However, in 1940 and 1944 at the peak of her athletic career the Olympic Games were cancelled due to World War II. When she finally attended the 1948 Olympic Games she was able to show off her talent as a member of the American Olympic team. Despite having a back injury Coachman broke the record in the high jump and had King George VI award her the honor. During her career, she won thirty-four national titles, ten for high jump in consecutive years. After the Olympic Games she returned to the United States and finished her degree at Albany State. She completed a B.S. degree in Home Economics with a minor in science. In 1949 she became a teacher and a track-and-field instructor. In 1952, Coca-Cola had her became their spokesperson making her the first African American to earn an endorsement deal. In the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996 she was honored as one of the 100 greatest Olympians in history. She is also a part of nine halls of fame including the National Track and Field Hall of Fame and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, Coachman died on July 14, 2014 in Georgia at the age of 90.

click here