OT: Bob Richards Dead at 97

[RUhasarrived]

He is the only athlete to ever win 2 Olympic Gold Medals in the Pole vault,doing so in '52 and in '56.

Two years later in 1958,he turned "pro" by becoming the first athlete ever to appear on the front of a Wheaties box.

He became an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren in 1946,later having one Billie Jean King in his flock.

He ran for President in 1984(I guess that Reagan wasn't conservative enough for him) on the Populist Party ticket,garnering some 66,000 votes.

A life well lived.

 

[Kbee3]

He is the only athlete to ever win 2 Olympic Gold Medals in the Pole vault,doing so in '52 and in '56.

Two years later in 1958,he turned "pro" by becoming the first athlete ever to appear on the front of a Wheaties box.

He became an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren in 1946,later having one Billie Jean King in his flock.

He ran for President in 1984(I guess that Reagan wasn't conservative enough for him) on the Populist Party ticket,garnering some 66,000 votes.

A life well lived.

Church of the Brethren ? Not familiar.

 

[Scarlet1984]

Church of the Brethren ? Not familiar.

Swing by my house and I will lend you my encyclopedia so you can look it up 😊

 

[MADHAT1]

RIP Rev. Robert E. Richards
Bob Richards, Pole-Vaulting Hero of the Cold War Era, Dies at 97
>Long before modern athletes began riding fiberglass poles to unimaginable heights, the Rev. Robert E. Richards, an ordained minister nicknamed the Vaulting Vicar, won Olympic gold medals in 1952 at Helsinki, Finland, and in 1956 at Melbourne, Australia, using aluminum poles to clear bars set at just under 15 feet.<
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/27/sports/olympics/bob-richards-dead.html

 

[Kbee3]

Swing by my house and I will lend you my encyclopedia so you can look it up 😊

I'm not that interested. Just thought someone here might know something about it.
In case I change my mind though...what's your address ?

 

[Scarlet1984]

I'm not that interested. Just thought someone here might know something about it.
In case I change my mind though...what's your address ?

www.Wikipedia.com

Just be careful. It’s easy to find but you can fall into a rabbit hole.

 

[Morrischiano]

He said “riding fiberglass poles”….

 

[knightfan7]

He was a big name back in the 50's - early 60's.

 

[rudad02]

He was a big name back in the 50's - early 60's.

Yes he was.

 

[newwavedave1]

Sorry, never heard of him until I read this post.

 

[colbert17]

Same here, but thanks for posting. Great info.

 

[Morrischiano]

I don’t understand these RIP posts for irrelevant people.

 

[RUforJERSEY]

I don’t understand these RIP posts for irrelevant people.

What do you mean irrelevant? I was just sitting here thinking; I wonder whatever became of Bob Richards?

 

[NickKnight 1]

Sorry, never heard of him until I read this post.

You didn't eat Wheaties in the 1950's ?

 

[knightfan7]

You didn't eat Wheaties in the 1950's ?

Hope he at least drinks his Ovaltine.

 

[NickKnight 1]

I don’t understand these RIP posts for irrelevant people.

You have no idea of how popular this guy was. He reached millions of kids and parents every day. He was in commercials every day showing
kids his Olympic pole vaulting. Showing kids
they too can make it. He was the example of a clean cut, hard working successful man.