You are what you think. But from 1947 to 1957, he dominated national and international competitions by clearing 15 feet more than 125 times. 112 Lamar Hillsboro, Texas 76645 | 254.659.7500, click enter to tab through Apply menu links, click enter to tab through Admissions menu links, click enter to tab through Academic menu links, click enter to tab through Athletics menu links, click enter to tab through I Am A: menu links, Link to the Hill College Hill College Instagram Page, Sexual Misconduct/Violence Anonymous Reporting. Bob is an ordained minister and motivational speaker who has given over 3,000 speeches. championships in indoor and outdoor vaulting competitions, and United States decathlon championships in 1951, 1954 and 1955. Be a model, not a critic. Bob Richards, a three-time olympian and the first athlete to ever be featured on a Wheaties cereal box, has died, his son said on social media. 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). 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 showed early abilities in basketball and was a pole-vaulter and a star quarterback at Champaign Central High School. He had been a pastor in California only briefly, but the dual image of minister and champion athlete was irresistible on the speaking circuit. Cold War tensions again played out in the 1956 Melbourne Games. He was one of a kind.". / CBS News. Jim Rohn. 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, diedon Sunday at his home in Waco, Texas. The Heart of a Champion: Inspiring True Stories of Challenge and Triumph, p.74, Revell, Bob Richards (2009). Bike-Path Attackers Mother Says She Wanted Tired Son to Leave U.S. Kellyanne Conway Meets With Prosecutors as Trump Inquiry Escalates, U.K. Police Charge 3rd Man in Effort to Kill Russian Dissident, Review: For Armory Recitals, a Modest but Memorable Return, Review: After Merce, the Dances Go On, and Go On to Inspire, Yaya DaCosta Joins Elite Society in Our Kind of People, All of Aaron Judges Home Runs, From 1 to 40, For Colored Girls to Close on Broadway, Reflecting Tough Season, Mikaela Shiffrin and Aleks Kilde Are Ski Racings Power Couple. He retired to a ranch in Waco, where he owned a golf course. One of the finest motivational speakers in history, Richards has delivered over 12,000 talks in his lifetime. According to U.S.A. Track and Field, Brandon Richards even held the national high school record at one point. The family that plays and prays together stays together, Richards intoned on countless occasions. 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. Purpose gives faith. 1 pole vaulterfor eight consecutive years. You are what you do! And he was perfect on the Wheaties box: a muscular all-American with a smile that radiated confidence, health and upright living. He had been a pastor in California only briefly, but the dual image of minister and champion athlete was irresistible on the speaking circuit. He married the college presidents niece, Mary Leah Cline, in 1946. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. Courage gives enthusiasm. Joe Theismann for DHL. In 1970 he married Vonda Joan Beaird, an actress. Bob Odenkirk Tells The Incredible Story Of How Chris Farley's Infamous Motivational Speaker Sketch Came To Exist. 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. Everything that happens to you can happen for good if you have this spirit. Bob Richards, Pole-Vaulting Hero of the Cold War Era, Dies at 97. admin Send an email 14 seconds ago. His autobiography, Heart of a Champion, was published in 1959. This is true in all of life. He earned a bachelors degree in 1947 and a masters in 1948. 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 at his home in Waco, Texas. Remaining cloudy. His hands were pointed toward heaven in an attitude of prayer., Bob Richards, Pole-Vaulting Hero of the Cold War Era, Dies at 97, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/27/sports/olympics/bob-richards-dead.html. 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. In 1946, he was ordained and transferred to the University of Illinois. Daymond John . Long before modern athletes began riding fiberglass poles to unimaginable heights, the Rev. Nightingale was the author of The Strangest Secret . He became one of Americas most lionized and familiar celebrities. He won 11 championship titles at the Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden. In his Facebook post, Brandon Richards said his father began reading the Bible and preaching as a way to overcome his stuttering. Mainly clear. championships in indoor and outdoor vaulting competitions, and United States decathlon championships in 1951, 1954 and 1955. Richards became the face and voice of the cereal known as the Breakfast of Champions.. 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. 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. Nick Vujicic. Bob Richards. But he escaped the street life into religion and athletics. Bob Richards Quotes - BrainyQuote. 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. In his life after sports, Richards portrayed himself in a television biography, Leap to Heaven (1957); hosted a weekly childrens television program in Los Angeles; reported for NBC, CBS and ABC on the Olympic Games in Rome, Innsbruck, Tokyo and Montreal; and delivered some 12,000 motivational speeches to corporate sales forces, high school students and community organizations. But from 1947 to 1957, he dominated national and international competitions by clearing 15 feet more than 125 times. INDIANAPOLIS Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also was an ordained minister, died Sunday. You are what you think you are. He recovered, and in 2014, he was electrocuted with 14,000 volts of electricity. Richards became the face and voice of the cereal known as the Breakfast of Champions.. Chance of rain 100%.. Richards was inducted into the US Olympic Hall of Fame in 1983 after a career that included winning at the Millrose Games 11 straight times. Bob has pioneered the vision of Love Does (formerly Restore International) to fight for freedom and human rights, working to improve educational opportunities and to be helpful to those in need of a voice and a friend. That marriage ended in divorce. And Richards made history, becoming the only male two-time winner of the Olympic pole vault, and with another record: 14 feet 11 inches. 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. Robert D. McFadden is a senior writer on the Obituaries desk and the winner of the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for spot news reporting. These people who want to wave the flag and play the band, thats not the real spirit of the Olympics, he said. Richards made the Olympic team that competed in the Games in London in 1948 and won a bronze medal. Invalid password or account does not exist. And Richards made history, becoming the onlymale two-time winner of the Olympic pole vault, and with another record: 14 feet 11 inches. At 20, he had been ordained a minister of the Church of the Brethren, an Anabaptist denomination, and the news media had reflexively called him the Vaulting Vicar and the Pole Vaulting Pastor. He was 97. . display: none; 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. 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. 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. "He always motivated us kids the same way to be the best we could be.". Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. It may sound strange, but many champions are made champions by setback. Don't be content with mediocrity - strive to live up to the greatest within you. He was 97. Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, died Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023. Richards made the Olympic team that competed in the Games in London in 1948, but he won no medals. Long before modern athletes began riding fiberglass poles to unimaginable heights, the Rev. What Ive Learned in My First Hundred Years, that came out Tuesday. I learned something the other day that I believe will be interesting to Heloise readers. That mark (pending official ratification) surpassed his own previous five world records, all over 20 feet and all set since 2020. Here are 15 of the most popular motivational speakers from around the world. Even Richards 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. In 1951, he was named the country's top amateur athlete by the AAU. Bob Richards August, 2012 . 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. Richards hugged him back, for which he was criticized by some American officials and members of the news media. If you want to be the person you ought to be, you've got to welcome competition. He emerged from the pit smiling for the first time during the day, The Times reported. He continued participating in track and field events as he aged, joining the World Masters Games in quadrennial competitions popular with retired professional athletes and former Olympic competitors. I'd estimate more than 5 million people could have beaten me in the pole vault the years I won it at least 5 million. U.S.A. Track and Field also put out a statement remembering the legendary "Vaulting Vicar," a nickname Richards earned after he became an ordained minister while still competing. Check out our list of the other top Christian motivational speakers here. championships in indoor and outdoor vaulting competitions, and United States decathlon championships in 1951, 1954 and 1955. He is also the first athlete to appear on the front of a Wheaties cereal box in 1958. Bob Richards, byname of Robert Eugene Richards, (born February 20, 1926, Champaign, Illinois, U.S.died February 26, 2023, Waco, Texas), American athlete, the first pole-vaulter to win two Olympic gold medals. He was 97. He was 97. He was an inspiration to the late Jim Valvano, who coached N.C. State to the 1983 national basketball title ten years . Soviet athletes won the medals competition, 98 (37 gold) to 74 (32 gold) for the United States. Bob showed early abilities in basketball and was a pole-vaulter and a star quarterback at Champaign Central High School. These are the people you need to be following, listening to and watching on YouTube. He was 97. It would be fair to say that his work's been very influential in developing the careers of countless people within the personal development industry, including Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy, Mark Victor Hansen and Anthony Robbins. "To achieve goals you've never achieved before, you need to start doing things you've never done before." ~ Stephen Covey. 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 also won 17 A.A.U. Leadership, Sports, Hurt. Richards grew up as a "skinny poor kid from Illinois with stuttering speech," his son wrote. Here's my list of the top 10 motivational speakers in the world. Soviet athletes won the medals competition, 98 (37 gold) to 74 (32 gold) for the United States. He is also a very inspirational Christian motivational speaker. We did not have a grand wedding celebration, just a simple city-h. That marriage ended in divorce. He also won 17 AAU championships in indoor and outdoor vaulting competitions, and United States decathlon championships in 1951, 1954 and 1955. He won 11 championship titles at the Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden. 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. Anyone can read what you share. He won 11 championship titles at the Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden. The Suez crisis and the Soviet suppression of the Hungarian revolution led some nations to withdraw in protest. Robert E. Richards, an ordained minister nicknamed the Vaulting Vicar, won Olympic gold medals in 1952 at Helsinki and in 1956 at Melbourne, Australia, using aluminum poles to clear bars set at just under 15 feet. Chris Gardner. Richards himself never vaulted more than 15 feet 6 inches. His father was a telephone lineman. Although he was a successful professional wakeskater, he felt called by God and attended college for theology. 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. 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. 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. He became a pastor who went all around to give lectures, leading to a career as a motivational speaker. 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. Sportswriters called him "the Vaulting Vicar" because he was an ordained minister. That mark (pending official ratification) surpassed his own previous five world records, all over 20 feet and all set since 2020. But he escaped the street life into religion and athletics. February 28, 2023 / 8:24 PM Best Stephen Covey Quotes. Follow AzQuotes on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. The 1952 Olympic Games were a symbolic watershed in the Cold War. Their experience moved them, and they pulled out this fighting spirit, making them what they are. 1. They often encourage their audience to look at things from a different and perspective, and motivate them to take positive action in their lives. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos . 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. At 20, he had been ordained a minister of the Church of the Brethren, an Anabaptist denomination, and the news media had reflexively called him the Vaulting Vicar and the Pole Vaulting Pastor. But he escaped the street life into religion and athletics. Bob Richards, a two-time. The family that plays and prays together stays together, Richards intoned on countless occasions. Faith gives courage. Top 20 Richest Motivational Speakers in the World. His daughter, Tammy Richards LeSure, confirmed the death but did not cite a specific cause. He continued participating in track and field events as he aged, joining the World Masters Games in quadrennial competitions popular with retired professional athletes and former Olympic competitors. After his athletic career, the "Pole Vaulting Pastor" went on to become a sportscaster and motivational speaker, Brandon Richards said. J.R. Eyerman/The LIFE Picture Collection, via Shutterstock. First published on February 28, 2023 / 8:24 PM. 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. Richards will begin speaking at 7:30 p.m. and a reception is scheduled at the conclusion of the Series. INDIANAPOLIS Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also was an ordained minister, died Sunday. There are many people who could be Olympic champions. The 1952 Olympic Games were a symbolic watershed in the Cold War. Signup today! 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. }Customer Service. Rain ending early. Richards hugged him back, for which he was criticized by some American officials and members of the news media. "We lost a national treasure today,". He was 97. In 1970, he bicycled 3,300 miles from Los Angeles to New York to promote fitness. 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. In fact, as a youth Richards, the son of a broken home, had run with a gang of thieves and brawlers, and five of his friends went to prison for robbery. He graduated from high school in 1943, and in 1944 he enrolled at the Brethren-affiliated Bridgewater College in Virginia. The 1952 Olympic Games were a symbolic watershed in the Cold War. Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald, via Associated Press. 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). He received the Sullivan Award in 1951 as the nations best amateur athlete. The world record is held by Armand Duplantis, an American-born Swedish athlete known as Mondo, who on Feb. 25 vaulted 20 feet 4-3/4 inches. Bob Richards, an ordained minister . He was 97. 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. 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. Earl Nightingale V (March 12, 1921 - March 25, 1989) was an American radio speaker and author, dealing mostly with the subjects of human character development, motivation, and meaningful existence.

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