The greatest Olympic athlete from every U.S. state

Mississippi: Willye White

Sport: Track and Field

Olympics: Melbourne 1956, Rome 1960, Tokyo 1964, Mexico City 1968, and Munich 1972

It’s quite the rare feat that an athlete qualifies for an Olympics. It’s extraordinarily rare for an athlete to represent their country in five consecutive Games, but that’s exactly what Willye White accomplished in her Olympic career. She was also recognized by Sports Illustrated as one of the 100 greatest women athletes of the 20th century in 1999. Even though she only won a total of two medals, her accomplishments go beyond the medal count. It’s also not like too many people can say they have won multiple medals at the Olympics.

White set seven records in the long jump event at various times in her career and one of her best accomplishments came in her first Olympic appearance. She was merely 16 years old at the time when she won a silver medal in the long jump and became the very first American woman to ever medal in the event. White also won 13 indoor and outdoor titles during her distinguished career. She was inducted into the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame and then dedicated her post-Olympic career to bettering the health of people around her.

She was a nurse during her sports career and continued after she stopped competing. In 1991, White established the Willye White Foundation that aimed to help children by including an after-school program, a summer camp, and healthcare. Her influence goes beyond just being an athlete and that’s something any Olympian to be proud of.

Honorable Mention: Calvin Smith, track and field in Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988