En cliquant sur Accepter tout, vous acceptez que Yahoo et nos partenaires traitent vos informations personnelles et utilisent des technologies telles que les cookies pour afficher des publicits et des contenus personnaliss, et des fins de mesure des publicits et des contenus, dtude des audiences et de dveloppement de produit. 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. They have transformed many people's lives including mine. Richards carried the Olympic torch across Interstate 35 in Waco, Texas, in 1996. 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. Daymond John . 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. 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. Goals give purpose. 12 Copy quote. He also competed as a decathlete in 1956, in which he placed 13th. 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. Sometimes in life, God gives us a difficulty in order to bring out the fighting spirit. Purpose gives faith. Long before modern athletes began riding fiberglass poles to unimaginable heights, the Rev. He has been inducted into seven athletic and three speakers Halls of Fame including the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1983 and the United States National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1975. In 1970, he bicycled 3,300 miles from Los Angeles to New York to promote fitness. She died in 2019. He joined The Times in May 1961 and is also the co-author of two books. Pour en savoir plus sur notre utilisation de vos informations, veuillez consulter notre Politique relative la vie prive et notre Politique en matire de cookies. Every day we present the best quotes! Capitalizing on his fame, Richards became director of the Wheaties Sports Federation, founded in 1958 after President Dwight D. Eisenhower called for a national physical fitness campaign. His son, Brandon,. 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. "We lost a national treasure today," Brandon Richards wrote Sunday on Facebook. INDIANAPOLIS Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also was an ordained minister, died Sunday. These are the people you need to be following, listening to and watching on YouTube. }Customer Service. A motivational speaker (sometimes called an inspirational speaker) is a speaker who offers talks that inspire audiences. 2. 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. 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. That marriage ended in divorce. 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. 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. 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. He also was the first athlete to appear on a box of Wheaties cereal. By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. . The health of our home planet and the survival of our species will only be secured through the use of space resources and the expansion of Earth's economic sphere to the Moon and beyond. 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. 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. Like most motivational speakers we've discussed here, Schwarzenegger's success did not happen overnight. After a year at Bethany Biblical Seminary in Chicago, he taught at Illinois and then joined the faculty of the Brethren-affiliated La Verne College, now the University of La Verne, in California, and was pastor of a Brethren church in Long Beach until his busy athletic schedule forced him to resign. You are what you think. 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. 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. Choose wisely! 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. 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. Bob RichardsGold MedalistMonday, February 15, 2016, 7:30 p.m. A two-time Olympic gold medalist in pole vaulting and the first person ever to appear on a Wheaties cereal box will be this years speaker at the Hill College Alden J. Blanar Smith Speaker Series on Feb. 15 in the Vara Martin Daniel Performing Arts Center in Hillsboro. But he escaped the street life into religion and athletics. Bob showed early abilities in basketball and was a pole-vaulter and a star quarterback at Champaign Central High School. Be a light, not a judge. Soviet athletes won the medals competition, 98 (37 gold) to 74 (32 gold) for the United States. I have been with my husband for four years, and married for about a year. To book Leicester Tigers Legend, Dean Richards, as the rugby speaker for your corporate event , function or conference, simply contact the Champions Rugby Speakers agency by filling in our online contact form. If you want to know more or withdraw your consent to all or some of the cookies, please refer to the, Bob Richards (2009). Improve yourself, find your inspiration, share with friends, This website or its third-party tools use cookies, which are necessary to its functioning and required to achieve the purposes illustrated in the cookie policy. Keynote Speakers and Entertainers for Live and Virtual Events, Presentations & Speeches. Required fields are marked *. One day, well get out of all this flag-waving and nationalism. He won 11 championship titles at the Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden. If you want to be the person you ought to be, you've got to welcome competition. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Paul Snelgrove, Dr. Hendrik Poinar, Michael Archer, Bart Knols and Bruno Maisonnier. The 1952 Olympic Games were a symbolic watershed in the Cold War. championships in indoor and outdoor vaulting competitions, and United States decathlon championships in 1951, 1954 and 1955. 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. CHICAGO Sister Jean of Loyola University, who stands atop Chicagos A-list of celebrity religious, waited until she was 103 to write her memoir. 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. 1 pole vaulterfor eight consecutive years. He was 97. . 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). [1] He won gold medals in pole vault in both 1952 and 1956, becoming the only . The duel for the gold medal was waged between Richards and fellow American Don Laz. 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. 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. Richards hugged him back, for which he was criticized by some American officials and members of the news media. The pole-vault competition lasted more than four hours. That mark (pending official ratification) surpassed his own previous five world records, all over 20 feet and all set since 2020. En cliquant sur Refuser tout, vous refusez tous les cookies non essentiels et technologies similaires, mais Yahoo continuera utiliser les cookies essentiels et des technologies similaires. 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. His son Paul confirmed the death. The family that plays and prays together stays together, Richards intoned on countless occasions. Strive for perfection - never be content with mediocrity. Its pretty amazing., Basketball scores for Aurora, Elgin, Naperville and Lake County, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Facebook . 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. After his athletic career, the "Pole Vaulting Pastor" went on to become a sportscaster and motivational speaker, Brandon Richards said. 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. Mainly clear. Alternatively, call a booking agent directly on 0207 1010 553. He is the founder and CEO of Gardner Rich LLC. 0 0 6 minutes read. 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. After a year at Bethany Biblical Seminary in Chicago, he taught at Illinois and then joined the faculty of the Brethren-affiliated La Verne College, now the University of La Verne, in California, and was pastor of a Brethren church in Long Beach until his busy athletic schedule forced him to resign. Richards himself never vaulted more than 15 feet 6 inches. Richards' two sons followed in his footsteps and also became pole vaulters. Nick Vujicic was born on December 4th 1982 in Melbourne, Australia. One day, well get out of all this flag-waving and nationalism. He was 97. 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. Robert (Bob) Richards generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. 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. 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. Soviet athletes won the medals competition, 98 (37 gold) to 74 (32 gold) for the United States. He was 97. But from 1947 to 1957, he dominated national and international competitions by clearing 15 feet more than 125 times. 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. 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 grandchildrenand 19 great-grandchildren. 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. (Anonymous/AP). 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. He had been a pastor in California only briefly, but the dual image of minister and champion athlete was irresistible on the speaking circuit. Quotes tagged as "motivational-speaker" Showing 1-30 of 685. 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 retired to a ranch in Waco, where he owned a golf course. Faith gives courage. His or her story is moving and inspiring, perhaps about having overcome adversity and/or with an emotional story to share . Bob Richards, olympic pole vault champion, dies at age 97 . J.R. Eyerman/The LIFE Picture Collection, via Shutterstock. 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. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos . Signup today! February 28, 2023 / 8:24 PM Fugitive in $18 million COVID fraud scheme extradited to U.S. 20,000 people may have been exposed to measles at Asbury University revival. Pole vaulter Rev. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. 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. Here's my list of the top 10 motivational speakers in the world. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Bob Richards is a remarkable human being. 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. Sportswriters called him "the Vaulting Vicar" because he was an ordained minister. The essential thing in life is not in the conquering, but in the fight. UU. 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. Stephen Richards Covey was an American educator, author, businessman, and keynote speaker. But from 1947 to 1957, he dominated national and international competitions by clearing 15 feet more than 125 times. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. He was 97. He received the Sullivan Award in 1951 as the nations best amateur athlete. Bob Richards August, 2012 . Nightingale was the author of The Strangest Secret . After his athletic career, the "Pole Vaulting Pastor" went on to become a sportscaster and motivational speaker, Brandon Richards said. 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. But he escaped the street life into religion and athletics. 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. His autobiography, Heart of a Champion, was published in 1959. Chris Gardner was born on February 9, 1954, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In his day, he was considered the greatest pole vaulter in history. Richards himself never vaulted more than 15 feet 6 inches. 2023-02-28T08:00:00.0000000Z Just before graduation, he suffered a terrible accident. 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. In 1970, he bicycled 3,300 miles from Los Angeles to New York to promote fitness. 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. 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. From dazzling entertainers creating unforgettable events to grounded wellbeing experts equipping organisations to be the best versions of themselves, you will find the perfect match for . 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. ABOUT BOB RICHARDS- Three-time Olympic pole vaulter (1948 bronze medal; 1952 gold medal; and 1956 gold medal), - Member of 100 Golden Olympians Team (1996), - Spokesperson for Wheaties/General Mills (1958-72), - National Indoor/Outdoor Champion 27 times, - Physical Fitness Leader/Bob Richards Fitness Crusade (1970), - World Master Track and Field Champion (1983-91), - U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame Inductee (1983), - U.S. Track and Field Hall of Fame Inductee (1970), - National Track and Field Hall of Fame Inductee (1970). ; because he was an ordained minister championship titles at the Millrose Games Madison... 6 inches out of all this flag-waving and nationalism escaped the street life into and! World records, all over 20 feet and all set since 2020 Vaulting Vicar quot. 98 ( 37 gold ) for the United States decathlon championships in 1951 as the best. May 1961 and is also the co-author of two books you need be! 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