“Jesse Owens”
By: Megan Cooper
I chose Jesse Owens because he was a hard-working man and never gave up.
He was born in 1913 in Alabama. James Cleveland Owens was his real name. Jesse Owens ran track when he was young. James’ nickname was Jesse because of his initials, J.C. As a young boy, Jesse did hard work – work like picking cotton in the cotton field.
He also had time to play. Jesse always dreamed of being a very fast runner. He never gave up and he kept on trying until it was right. Jesse was a very good athlete. His good grades helped him her a scholarship in Ohio to the State University.
Once he was running and hurt his leg really bad. He could not run for months, but when he got well he got back up and got back on the track.
Jesse Owens died in 1980. Since his death, he inspired many blacks to run in the Olympics and in track. He will still be remembered for years to come.