WIlma Rudolph
Wilma Rudolph Wilma Glodean Rudolph was born prematurely on June 23, 1940 in St. ... The Rudolphs were a very poor family so most care for Wilma was done at home, not to mention the fact that their segregated town of Clarksville would not permit them to use the local hospital. ... After still being sick with whooping cough, measles, and chicken pox, Rudolph was free of her leg braces at age 9. ... Temple was asked to form a sprinter out of a basketball forward and Rudolph was the one he wanted.