Would you like to receive our daily news? 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. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. From a New York Times obit by Robert D. McFadden headlined Bob Richards, Pole-Vaulting Hero of the Cold War Era, Dies at 97: 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, died at his home in Waco, Texas. 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. It would be fair to say that his work's been very influential in developing the careers of countless people within the personal development industry, including Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy, Mark Victor Hansen and Anthony Robbins. His son Paul confirmed the death. He was 97. These are the people you need to be following, listening to and watching on YouTube. Richards himself never vaulted more than 15 feet 6 inches. 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. She died in 2019. Hisson, Brandon, wrote in a social media post that his fatherpassed in his sleep peacefully surrounded by loved ones.. 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. 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. He was 97. Schwarzenegger was born on 30th July 1947 in Austria and at the age of 18, he served in the Austrian army for a period of 1 year. In his life after sports, Richards portrayed himself in a television biography, Leap to Heaven (1957); hosted a weekly childrens television program in Los Angeles; reported for NBC, CBS and ABC on the Olympic Games in Rome, Innsbruck, Tokyo and Montreal; and delivered some 12,000 motivational speeches to corporate sales forces, high school students and community organizations. Flying bug found at Walmart turns out to be rare Jurassic-era insect. He retired to a ranch in Waco, where he owned a golf course. Just before graduation, he suffered a terrible accident. Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald, viaAssociated Press. Nick Vujicic. Facebook . His life was depicted in a made . The Suez crisis and the Soviet suppression of the Hungarian revolution led some nations to withdraw in protest. 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. He had been a pastor in California only briefly, but the dual image of minister and champion athlete was irresistible on the speaking circuit. The family that plays and prays together stays together, Richards intoned on countless occasions. USA Track and Field confirmed his death. And he was perfect on the Wheaties box: a muscular all-American with a smile that radiated confidence, health and upright living. And he was perfect on the Wheaties box: a muscular all-American with a smile that radiated confidence, health and upright living. 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. Richards grew up as a "skinny poor kid from Illinois with stuttering speech," his son wrote. 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. Richards himself never vaulted more than 15 feet 6 inches. Stephen Richards Covey was an American educator, author, businessman, and keynote speaker. He was an inspiration to the late Jim Valvano, who coached N.C. State to the 1983 national basketball title ten years . Bob RichardsGold MedalistMonday, February 15, 2016, 7:30 p.m. A two-time Olympic gold medalist in pole vaulting and the first person ever to appear on a Wheaties cereal box will be this years speaker at the Hill College Alden J. Blanar Smith Speaker Series on Feb. 15 in the Vara Martin Daniel Performing Arts Center in Hillsboro. Long before modern athletes began riding fiberglass poles to unimaginable heights, the Rev. He graduated from high school in 1943, and in 1944 he enrolled at the Brethren-affiliated Bridgewater College in Virginia. His or her story is moving and inspiring, perhaps about having overcome adversity and/or with an emotional story to share . championships in indoor and outdoor vaulting competitions, and United States decathlon championships in 1951, 1954 and 1955. Like most motivational speakers we've discussed here, Schwarzenegger's success did not happen overnight. Faith gives courage. Richards made the Olympic team that competed in the Games in London in 1948 and won a bronze medal. by Cass Anderson April 1, . But from 1947 to 1957, he dominated national and international competitions by clearing 15 feet more than 125 times. He is also a very inspirational Christian motivational speaker. 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. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Bob Richards, Pole-Vaulting Hero of the Cold War Era, Dies at 97. Their experience moved them, and they pulled out this fighting spirit, making them what they are. 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, died Sunday at his home in Waco, Texas. And Richards made history, becoming the onlymale two-time winner of the Olympic pole vault, and with another record: 14 feet 11 inches. Todays top male vaulters, with refined techniques and springy fiberglass poles that bow almost to U shapes, routinely soar over crossbars set above 19 feet. Topeka Mayors Advice for Mayor Adams: Learn Humility. Many people have a life experience that can motivate others. 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. He won 11 championship titles at the Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden. The 1952 Olympic Games were a symbolic watershed in the Cold War. Would you like to receive our daily news? Robert E. Richards, an ordained minister nicknamed the Vaulting Vicar, won Olympic gold medals in 1952 at Helsinki, Finland, and in 1956 at Melbourne, Australia, using aluminum poles to clear bars set at just under 15 feet. These people who want to wave the flag and play the band, thats not the real spirit of the Olympics, he told The New York Times years later. He is an entrepreneur, a business consultant, a writer, and a teacher who focuses on guiding people in putting their ideas into action. He is the definition of a true American athlete.. 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, died on Sunday at his home in Waco, Texas. 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, died on Sunday at his home in Waco, Texas. Their words are often powerful and their talks impactful, regardless of whether they are attempting to challenge, transform or convince the audience. Richards' two sons followed in his footsteps and also became pole vaulters. In 1970, he bicycled 3,300 miles from Los Angeles to New York to promote fitness. 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. Cinco claves de la Ley de Chips de EE. The pole-vault competition lasted more than four hours. Cold War tensions again played out in the 1956 Melbourne Games. Here are 15 of the most popular motivational speakers from around the world. A motivational speaker (sometimes called an inspirational speaker) is a speaker who offers talks that inspire audiences. Bob Richards, an ordained minister . But he escaped the street life into religion and athletics. He retired to a ranch in Waco, where he owned a golf course. Staggering snowfall in California mountains leaves residents trapped for days, Garland testifies before Senate panel amid ongoing special counsel probes, Colon cancer rates rising in younger age group, study finds, Firefighter dies battling blaze in downtown Buffalo, mayor says, Several hospitalized after Lufthansa flight diverted to Dulles due to turbulence, Explosive found in checked luggage at Pennsylvania airport, feds say, Prosecution wraps its case at Alex Murdaugh murder trial, Top McCarthy aide, House Oversight chair each met with Ashli Babbitt's mother, Ex-Georgia star Jalen Carter was racing in deadly crash, arrest warrants allege. Richards hugged him back, for which he was criticized by some American officials and members of the news media. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. J.R. Eyerman/The LIFE Picture Collection, via Shutterstock, In 1958, Richards became director of the Wheaties Sports Federation as well as the face and voice of the cereal known as the Breakfast of Champions.. You are what you think you are. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Thats not what the Olympic spirit is all about.. There are many people who could be Olympic champions. His daughter, Tammy Richards LeSure, confirmed the death but did not cite a specific cause. And Richards made history, becoming the onlymale two-time winner of the Olympic pole vault, and with another record: 14 feet 11 inches. She died in 2019. Improve yourself, find your inspiration, share with friends, This website or its third-party tools use cookies, which are necessary to its functioning and required to achieve the purposes illustrated in the cookie policy. USA Track and Field confirmed his death. Richards became the face and voice of the cereal known as the Breakfast of Champions.. "We are very fortunate to have Bob Richards come and speak at our college," Hill College President Dr. Pam Boehm said. 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. Richards was inducted into the US Olympic Hall of Fame in 1983 after a career that included winning at the Millrose Games 11 straight times. High 42F. 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. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. The family that plays and prays together stays together, Richards intoned on countless occasions. Leadership, Sports, Hurt. He was the greatest dad I could ever ask for and I will miss him dearly., #ada-button-frame { 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. Bob Richards, byname of Robert Eugene Richards, (born February 20, 1926, Champaign, Illinois, U.S.died February 26, 2023, Waco, Texas), American athlete, the first pole-vaulter to win two Olympic gold medals. He recovered, and in 2014, he was electrocuted with 14,000 volts of electricity. Best Stephen Covey Quotes. Enthusiasm gives energy. No matter how good you may be, you've got to be willing to cut out of your life those things that keep you from going to the top. In 1970, he bicycled 3,300 miles from Los Angeles to New York to promote fitness. Your gift will provide students with scholarships to achieve their educational goals at Hill College. 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. Life lifts you over the bar. 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 illegal immigrants and denying the right to vote to anyone on welfare for more than a year. Bob Odenkirk Tells The Incredible Story Of How Chris Farley's Infamous Motivational Speaker Sketch Came To Exist. 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