Product Description

At the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, Wilma Rudolph stunned the world by becoming the first woman to win 3 consecutive gold medals in Track & Field. But the most amazing part of this true story is that Wilma (Shirley Jo Finney) was afflicted by the crippling disease polio, a disease she conquered on her way to becoming one of America's greatest athletes. The story begins with Wilma's childhood in rural Tennessee, when her parents first learn she had contracted this horrendous disease. Her mother (Cicely Tyson) does everything in her power to bolster Wilma's self confidence and help her triumph over the handicap. Her ceaseless determination pays off as Wilma develops her strength, speed and agility. But her greatest triumph comes at the 1960 Olympics where her astounding physical abilities and determination make her the darling of the Games.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #29695 in DVD
• Brand: Image Entertainment
• Released on: 2007-01-16
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .40 pounds
• Running time: 100 minutes

Customer Reviews

WILMA
This made for TV docudrama is the true story of Wilma Rudolph, one of America's greatest Olympic athletes. Wilma was born into a poor (by our standards), black family in Tennessee and rose to become the crowd favorite at the 1960 Olympics in Rome where she became the fastest woman in the world and the first American woman to win three gold medals in the same competition. Her journey included overcoming a debilitating case of polio at a young age which forced her to wear a brace and heavy shoes for several years and receive daily therapy. She also lived and competed in a world where being black in the deep South meant being segregated and second class. She also had to overcome an unwanted pregnancy which threatened to end her career early. It is an amazing story of perseverance and the love of a family and the support of her coach and community. As with Jesse Owens ahead of her and so many athletes, there is a coach behind her success, Ed Temple, the track coach at Tennessee State who saw in Wilma the raw potential of a great athlete. The movie builds to a climax with the Rome Olympics and shows all three of the actual events in which she won the gold medals. She also went on to become a role model for young women and the first real superstar female athlete and also an ambassador for amateur athletics.[...]

excellent retelling of Wilma Rudolph's life
I owned this in VHS format, and I was very happy to finally have it in DVD. Wilma Rudolph is an inspirational person - one who overcame polio, poverty, etc., to set the world on its heels in the Olympics. A very young Denzel Washington plays Robert, Wilma's love interest. Cicely Tyson is superb as usual. Although originally made for TV, the film speaks well to a turbulent time. I love the scenes when the Tennessee Tech. Coach Temple makes the jokes about FDR in his social studies lessons and when he makes his sprinters run cross country to build their endurance. It shows he was a man ahead of his time.

This Is A Good Movie!
I watched this movie on TV and I really liked it. It is based on a true story and is about Olympic track and field athlete Wilma Rudolph who had contacted Polio when she was 4 years old and despite that went on to become an olympic gold winning athlete and this movie is an inspiration to follow ones dreams and never give up. Wilma Rudolph is played by Cicely Tyson who was wonderful and I highly recommend this movie!