6-time Olympic medalist brings inspiring message to Tri-Cities

Olympic legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee came to the Tri-Cities on a mission to give back.

The six-time Olympic medalist toured the Boys & Girls Clubs center in Kennewick and read to preschoolers, hoping to share some of the inspiration she got at a similar club when she was young.

Joyner-Kersee grew up in East St. Louis and spent time at a club that, at the time, just catered to boys.

Nevertheless, Joyner-Kersee says, the executive director invited her in after seeing her play with the other kids.

“(He) didn’t realize the impact it was having on my life,” she said.

Kids at the clubhouse were cared about beyond the sports field, they were cared for as human beings, she recalled during her visit this week.

“For me, that continued to be a part of my journey, my life in hopes of maybe one day I could do something similar, give back and inspire a generation to be the best that they can be,” she said.

Give back she has.

In 1988, she founded the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation which helps serve youth and families in greater East St. Louis. In 1999, she helped create a new Boys & Girls Clubhouse in her hometown.

In addition to her philanthropic ventures, she continues to advocate for children’s education, health issues, racial equality, social reform and women’s rights, according to her website.

She’s considered among the all-time greatest heptathletes and long jumpers, winning three gold, one silver and two bronze Olympic medals in those events at four different Olympic Games.

This week, she also spoke at the “Dinner With Friends,” an annual fundraising event for the local Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties held at the Three Rivers Convention Center.