The Suez crisis and the Soviet suppression of the Hungarian revolution led some nations to withdraw in protest. 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, Texas. Simrin Singh is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News. Leadership, Sports, Hurt. 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. The inspiration was Bob had seen Chris do a coach lecturing . In 1951, he was named the country's top amateur athlete by the AAU. 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. Emmitt Smith for Better Man Ministries. In 1970, he bicycled 3,300 miles from Los Angeles to New York to promote fitness. They often encourage their audience to look at things from a different and perspective, and motivate them to take positive action in their lives. He earned a bachelors degree in 1947 and a masters in 1948. He also was the first athlete to appear on a box of Wheaties cereal. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Richards hugged him back, for which he was criticized by some American officials and members of the news media. Be a model, not a critic. 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. 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. The world record is held by Armand Duplantis, an American-born Swedish athlete known as Mondo, who just this month vaulted 20 feet 4 3/4 inches, surpassing his own previous five world records, all over 20 feet and all set since 2020. In 1946, he was ordained and transferred to the University of Illinois. But from 1947 to 1957, he dominated national and international competitions by clearing 15 feet more than 125 times. 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. Here's my list of the top 10 motivational speakers in the world. Start a Free Trial Motivational speakers 1. Courage gives enthusiasm. DEAR HELOISE: I've been reading your column for many years. 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. 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. 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. Daymond John . He married the college presidents niece, Mary Leah Cline, in 1946. Bob Richards, Pole-Vaulting Hero of the Cold War Era, Dies at 97 An ordained minister known as the Vaulting Vicar, he was an Olympic gold medal winner and the first athlete to appear on the. 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. In 1946, he was ordained and transferred to the University of Illinois. Rain ending early. Purpose gives faith. 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. That marriage ended in divorce. Ingenuity, plus courage, plus work, equals miracles. The Heart of a Champion: Inspiring True Stories of Challenge and Triumph, p.74, Revell, Bob Richards (2009). Richards became the face and voice of the cereal known as the Breakfast of Champions.. He graduated from high school in 1943, and in 1944 he enrolled at the Brethren-affiliated Bridgewater College in Virginia. 3. Purpose gives faith. Invalid password or account does not exist. 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. CHICAGO Sister Jean of Loyola University, who stands atop Chicagos A-list of celebrity religious, waited until she was 103 to write her memoir. Cold War tensions again played out in the 1956 Melbourne Games. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos . 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. 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 showed early abilities in basketball and was a pole-vaulter and a star quarterback at Champaign Central High School. And he was perfect on the Wheaties box: a muscular all-American with a smile that radiated confidence, health and upright living. He was 97. Although he was a successful professional wakeskater, he felt called by God and attended college for theology. 12 Copy quote. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. Richards made the Olympic team that competed in the Games in London in 1948, but he won no medals. That mark (pending official ratification) surpassed his own previous five world records, all over 20 feet and all set since 2020. Courage gives enthusiasm. One of the great lessons I've learned in athletics is that you've got to discipline your life. Nous, Rivals, faisons partie de la famille de marques Yahoo. That mark (pending official ratification) surpassed his own previous five world records, all over 20 feet and all set since 2020. His son Paul confirmed the death. His autobiography, Heart of a Champion, was published in 1959. This is the name that will be displayed next to your photo for comments, blog posts, and more. His father was a telephone lineman. The pole-vault competition lasted more than four hours. He graduated from high school in 1943, and in 1944 he enrolled at the Brethren-affiliated Bridgewater College in Virginia. His son, Brandon,. Hisson, Brandon, wrote in a social media post that his fatherpassed in his sleep peacefully surrounded by loved ones.. He is also a very inspirational Christian motivational speaker. He married the college presidents niece, Mary Leah Cline, in 1946. 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. Just before graduation, he suffered a terrible accident. 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. Robert (Bob) Richards generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. I acknowledge having read the Union Leaders, Already subscribe? His most popular book is The 7 Habits of Highly . His son Paul confirmed the death. He emerged from the pit smiling for the first time during the day, The Times reported. You are sup, DEAR ABBY: My brother-in-law and his fiancee, Shana, have been dating for five years. They are champions because they've been hurt. Richards in 1951. 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. 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. Bob Richards, Pole-Vaulting Hero of the Cold War Era, Dies at 97. Would you like to receive our daily news? a blog by Jack Limpert, Editor of The Washingtonian for more than 40 years. Like most motivational speakers we've discussed here, Schwarzenegger's success did not happen overnight. AP Photo/Olympic World Photo, Pool, File I learned something the other day that I believe will be interesting to Heloise readers. He was 97. Bob Richards, the ordained minister nicknamed the Vaulting Vicar, at the Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, in 1952, when he won a gold medal. Faith gives courage. 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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. (Anonymous/AP). 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 world record is held by Armand Duplantis, an American-born Swedish athlete known as Mondo, who on Feb. 25 vaulted 20 feet 4 inches. 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 . 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 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 immigrants in the country without legal permission and denying the right to vote to anyone on welfare for more than a year. This is true in all of life. The duel for the gold medal was waged between Richards and fellow American Don Laz. Low 24F. 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. A motivational speaker, also known as an inspirational speaker, delivers speeches with the intention of motivating or inspiring an audience. He was one of a kind.". 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 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. Bob Proctor is an icon in the self-help arena and is a world-renowned motivational speaker and coach who helps people realize their limitless potential and develop the skills they need to succeed. Down to Business: Helping children learn to communicate empowers whole family, speech-language pathologist says, Richard Zoller likes to take charge for Mount Carmel. 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. According to U.S.A. Track and Field, Brandon Richards even held the national high school record at one point. In 1970 he married Vonda Joan Beaird, an actress. Men that were stronger, bigger and faster than I was could have done it, but they never picked up a pole, never made the feeble effort to pick their legs off the ground trying to get over the bar. Nick Vujicic. 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. The essential thing in life is not in the conquering, but in the fight. But he escaped the street life into religion and athletics. 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. Flying bug found at Walmart turns out to be rare Jurassic-era insect. 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. The Suez crisis and the Soviet suppression of the Hungarian revolution led some nations to withdraw in protest. But even during his . *, 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. Although there is no cost to attend the Feb. 15 Alden J. Blanar Smith Speaker Series, seating is limited in the Performing Arts Center. He was 97. 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. The pole-vault competition lasted more than four hours. No matter how good you may be, you've got to be willing to cut out of your life those things that keep . He also won 17 A.A.U. J.R. Eyerman/The LIFE Picture Collection, via Shutterstock. Its pretty amazing., Basketball scores for Aurora, Elgin, Naperville and Lake County, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. 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. That mark (pending official ratification) surpassed his own previous five world records, all over 20 feet and all set since 2020. 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. He earned a bachelors degree in 1947 and a masters in 1948. In 1946, he was ordained and transferred to the University of Illinois. 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. That mark (pending official ratification) surpassed his own previous five world records, all over 20 feet and all set since 2020. 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. Be a part of the solution, not the problem." ~ Stephen Covey. Jason Garrett for Bynum School. 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. First published on February 28, 2023 / 8:24 PM. Bob was world class in his events. "He then proceeded to give over 25,000 speeches worldwide to companies and organizations, motivating millions of people to achieve their dreams through positive sports stories," Richards' son wrote. 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. Every day we present the best quotes! Bob Richards. 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 received the Sullivan Award in 1951 as the nations best amateur athlete. championships in indoor and outdoor vaulting competitions, and United States decathlon championships in 1951, 1954 and 1955. 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. His son,. And he was perfect on the Wheaties box: a muscular all-American with a smile that radiated confidence, health and upright living. Soviet athletes won the medals competition, 98 (37 gold) to 74 (32 gold) for the United States. 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). 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. But he escaped the street life into religion and athletics. 2. Richards in 1951. Richards hugged him back, for which he was criticized by some American officials and members of the news media. 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. The family that plays and prays together stays together, Richards intoned on countless occasions. Required fields are marked *. an accomplishment he parlayed into a successful career as a motivational speaker, died Feb. 26 at his home in Waco, Texas. The pole-vault competition lasted more than four hours. Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald, viaAssociated Press. 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