Ralph Boston

thumb|Ralph Boston in 1960 Ralph Harold Boston (May 9, 1939 – April 30, 2023) was an American track athlete who received three Olympic medals and became the first person to break the 27 ft m barrier in the long jump. Quotes Suddenly people recognized me. Before that night nobody outside of Laurel, Mississippi, knew who I was and the people in Laurel knew me as Hawkeye Boston, not Ralph Boston. That was a day that I guess ‘changed my life’ is a good phrase. Appropriate, You think about how a life has changed and how life changed and how things have happened since then. Ralph Boston July 19 2019 It came about one day that I was playing on the basketball court behind Oak Park, and the track coach told me that he'd like me to run for him. I tried my best to wave him off, and I gave him all kinds of reasons. I told him that my mother wouldn't let me because I'm the youngest. He told me he'd call her to ask for permission, and I told him that if she said I could do it, I'd do it. When I got home, my mother told me that the track coach called and that I had practice in the morning. The Rome Olympics was the scariest thing I've ever done in my life. There was nothing like walking into the Olympic stadium and 80,000 people are watching you. The funny thing is after I finished, I thought it was a horrible jump. Coming home was an amazing feeling. I flew into Laurel, and my mother was waiting for me at the airport. Man, was she excited! That was the best feeling. When I got back, we were carried around town. It felt like we were floating. My advice is to work hard and work smart. Learn about what you want to accomplish. Be sharp, and find out what you need to do to succeed. Laurel's Very Own Olympian, July 29 2021 External links Category:1939 births Category:2023 deaths Category:Track and field athletes Category:Olympic gold medalists Category:Sportspeople from the United States Category:African Americans