Madeline Manning Mims
Madeline Manning Mims has been met with resistance at several key points in her life.
When Mims was three years old, the Tulsa, Oklahoma native was diagnosed with spinal meningitis and not expected to survive. As one of the few African-American middle-distance runners at the time, Mims also faced prejudice and doubters who didn't believe in her ability. But for every setback, Mims found a way to emerge stronger, developing into an “overcomer,” she said. “That's the mindset that I had, to not quit in anything and to press through the hard times.”
The approach helped lead her to track stardom. While attending Tennessee State University, Mims became the first African-American woman to compete in the 800 meters and the first American to win Olympic gold at the 1968 Games in Mexico City. For 53 years, she was the only American woman to earn gold in the event.
Mims grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and eventually recovered from spinal meningitis, which made her frequently sick until she was 14 years old. In high school gym class, she discovered her athleticism through the physical fitness test. When she took it for the first time, Mims had the highest score until a classmate returned from a suspension and beat her. “Although I was shy, I had a tiger in my tank, and I realized I didn't like that,” Mims said.
Madeline Manning Mims winning gold at the 1968 Olympics in the 800m.
Every day for three consecutive weeks, Mims retook the test until her physical-education teacher told her it was closed. Based on her new best score, Mims discovered that she was one of the most physically fit girls in the country. Afterwards, her teacher encouraged her to pursue team sports, so she joined her high school's volleyball, basketball, and track teams.
While competing at the Ohio state meet, Mims was discovered by the head coach of the Cleveland Division of Recreation Track Club and asked to compete on the U.S. national team against the USSR, Poland, and West Germany.
“I never thought one day I'll be an Olympic champion,” Mims said. “I came out of the inner city, and the whole attitude is you ain't nothin, you ain't gonna never be nothin, so don't even try. But I knew there was more to life than that.”
Fellow women's running pioneer Wilma Rudolph helped her see the possibilities. A survivor of polio and scarlet fever, Rudolph became the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.
On top of the 1968 Olympic Podium
Soon, Mims started blazing her own trail, but there were many challenges along the way. At the time, most African-American athletes competed in the sprints, and she was one of the few who ran middle distance. She recalled several incidents where rival coaches were openly against her taking part in competitions, especially in cross-country and longer events. “I would run into some very prejudiced situations,” she said. “They were afraid that I would take their girls' trophies from them.”
Despite her success in the 800 meters, prominent media outlets even doubted her chances of finishing on the podium in Mexico City. Mims recalled reading an event preview that excluded her and predicted that her rivals would finish top three, all of whom she'd beaten previously.
Not only did she win decisively, but Mims's Olympic victory marked a significant shift in perceptions within the sport.
“My winning broke a myth, and the myth was that women of color could not run long distances because they only had fast twitch muscles,” she said.
From 1967 to 1980, Mims won 10 national indoor and outdoor titles and set several American records. Her fastest 800-meter time, 1:57.9 in 1976, was a long-standing American record in the event.
Today, being an “overcomer” informs Mims's work as a motivational speaker and chaplain for the U.S. Olympic team. She is also the founder and president of the United States Council for Sports Chaplaincy. “I just want to help people balance their lives. When good things come, rejoice, it's great, but it's not always going to be good,” she says. “When bad things come, learn how to balance that with knowing that you're loved, you're valued, you have worth, and you can keep going through it.”
At the 2016 Olympic Trials
These days, Mims says she is in the middle of a “resurgence” thanks to fellow 800-meter runner Athing Mu. In the summer of 2021—53 years after Mims's historic Olympic victory—Mu became the first American woman since Mims to win Olympic gold in the event. She also broke the American record.
In June, Mims and Mu met in Eugene, Oregon before the USATF Outdoor Track and Field Championships, where Mu won the women’s 800 meters in 1:57.16. On the broadcast, Mims congratulated Mu and fellow Team USA members Ajee’ Wilson and Raevyn Rogers near the finish line at Hayward Field.
“Watching [Mu] is like watching myself run again,” Mims says. “It’s just been amazing. She’s a front-runner like I was, and she is very confident in what she can do.”
Note about the author: Taylor Dutch is a freelance writer, editor, and producer living in Chicago; a former NCAA track athlete, Taylor specializes in health, wellness, and endurance sports coverage. Her work has appeared in SELF, Runner’s World, Bicycling, Outside, and Podium Runner.
