Sister Callista Robinson
Alice Coachman was born on November 9, 1923, in Albany, Ga., to Evelyn and Fred Coachman. At a very early age she showed a great interest in athletics, especially in the field of track and high jumping. Her parents, however, were not fond of her interest in athletics. She did receive affirmation and encouragement from her fifth grade teacher and her aunt.
In the segregated South, she was denied access to training facilities. Alice was not discouraged, instead, she created her own training method by running barefoot in fields and on dirt roads using old equipment to improve her high jumping.
She demonstrated great skills in track as a high school student at Madison High School. School officials at Tuskegee Institute offered her a scholarship to attend their high school program. Her parents did approve and this gave Alice more opportunities to compete on and against all Black teams throughout the segregated South.
In 1943, Alice entered the Tuskegee Institute College Division. She played on the basketball team and ran track and field, where she won four national championships for events in sprinting and high jumping.
During World II, the Olympic Committee cancelled the 1940 and 1944 games. The Olympic Games were held in 1948 and Alice arrived in London as a member of the American Olympic Team. Despite nursing a back injury, she set a record in the high jump with a mark of 5 feet and 6 1/8 inches. She became the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal. King George VI, father of Queen Elizabeth II, awarded the honor.
Alice Coachman, died in Albany, Ga., on July 14, 2014. She was 90 years old.
