AN OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST ALMOST DIED IN A PLANE CRASH. TOOK TWO YEARS TO BE ABLE TO WALK AGAIN AND WENT ON TO WIN ANOTHER GOLD MEDAL

Betty Robinson was born in 1911 in Riverdale, Illinois. She ran her first 100-meter race at the age of sixteen and came in second only to the American record holder!
The next time she ran, she equaled or surpassed the world record, but was not formally recognized. She attended the Amsterdam Olympics and not only won the gold medal, but shattered the world record.

She seemed to be on top of the world until in 1931, tragedy struck. While flying, something in the plane malfunctioned and it crashed. Robinson was found among the wreckage in a severe coma and was believed to be dead. The civilian that discovered her was so convinced that he stuck her in his truck and drove her body to an undertaker, who discovered she was still alive.

Seven months later she woke up, but the process of recovery was much slower. It took six months until she could even stand out of her wheelchair, and two years until she was able to walk. She missed the 1932 Olympics, and in 1936 was still unable to kneel for the start of the race, but decided to compete anyway and fulfilled the definition of resilience by winning herself a second Olympic gold!