WCW: FLO JO

To all my ladies in the place with style and grace..!

by: Carmen Dual

Here at M.E. we celebrate revolutionary women; those who change the game in their perspective fields by being so truly them that, literally, no one can compete. We believe that competition is a myth and that cannot be more true for our United States Olympian, Florence Delorez Griffith Joyner, known as the fastest woman of all time, the iconic Flo Jo. She was a three-time gold medalist at the 1988 Summer Olympics and 'til this day, still has records as an athlete in track and field that have not been broken.

Her unbelievable speed and unapologetic, flashy fashion sense are just a couple of the things that makes her our WCW. She designed the bodysuits she competed in, adding to her grace of movement and physical beauty. She raised the profile of women's athletics and turned herself into one of the best-paid sports stars of her generation.

Raised in Jordan Downs, a public housing complex in South Central Los Angeles, she was the seventh of eleven children. Early on she understood the importance of hard work, determination and what it meant to have a vision for your life's trajectory.

Not only did she dominate the track field, throughout the course of her career she designed and modeled clothing, worked with under- privileged children through the Florence Griffith Joyner Foundation, acted as a spokeswoman for a variety of charitable causes and also held the chair of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Towards the end of 1995, she was inducted into the prestigious athletes Hall of Fame.

Unexpectedly, Florence died of an epileptic seizure on September 21, 1998, at her home in Mission Viejo, California. She was only 38 years and was survived by her husband and their daughter, Mary Joyner. Remarkably, almost 30 years later, Joyner still holds the world records in the 100- and 200-meter events, with times of 10.49 seconds and 21.34 seconds, respectively. Today, and every day, we celebrate women who break barriers and standards, creating a path all their own. We salute our pioneer, Florence Joyner, and all of the extraordinary women who, against odds, have gone on to represent our country in all of their beauty, grace, talent and sheer excellence in this year's Olympic Games.