The time Jim Thorpe won two Olympic Gold Medals with shoes someone had thrown in the trash.
Jim Thorpe grew up with adversity. As a Native American in the early 1900’s, he faced racial prejudice and a difficult upbringing. His twin brother died at age 9. His mother and then father died just a few years later. He became an orphan.
So when somebody stole his shoes…
So when somebody stole his shoes right before he was set to compete in the Olympics, it was probably no big deal to Jim. He simply put on two other shoes that someone had tossed in a trash can. They were different sizes, though, so he had to wear extra socks on one foot to even them out.
He went on to win two Gold medals, but that only touches the surface of what he did in those games. He won gold in the (now defunct) pentathlon, winning four of the five events (long jump, discus throw, sprint, and wrestling).
The one event he didn’t win was the javelin. He’d never competed in that event for the Olympics. He finished third in the world.
He’d actually tried to throw the javelin once before, in the Olympic trials. At the time, he didn’t know that he could throw it with a running start. He threw it standing still, and placed second.
