Perhaps Florence Griffith Joyner's greatest legacy will be the difference she made in the lives of others. Griffith Joyner, who was often called the fastest woman on earth, used her celebrity in a positive way to make change. "It is not so much the incredible performances, but Florence Griffith Joyner the person - the person who cared about young people, the person who was involved so much in her community, (that is her legacy)," USA Track and Field Media Information Officer Pete Cava said.
On Sept. 21 Giffith Joyner died of suffocation in her sleep after suffering an epileptic fit. She was just 38 years old.
"America and the world has lost one of our greatest Olympians," said President Clinton, who in 1993 had selected Griffith Joyner as the first woman ever to chair the President's Council on Physical Fitness. "We were dazzled by her speed, humbled by her talent and captivated by her style. Though she rose to the pinnacle of the world of sports, she never forgot where she came from."
The seventh of 11 children, Griffith Joyner was born in Los Angeles. She got her start in running at the Sugar Ray Robinson Youth Foundation in a program for underprivileged children. As an adult, Griffith and her husband, Al Joyner, started the Florence Griffith Joyner Youth Foundation, for disadvantaged children.
Griffith Joyner captured America's attention in 1988 at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Indianapolis, according to Cava. In the second round of the 100 meters first heat, she clocked an amazing 10.49 to break Evelyn Ashford's world record of 10.76. "You almost had to be here in 1988 when the legend of Flo Jo began," Cava said. "It was like nothing anyone had ever seen.
"I remember, I didn't see the race (when she broke the world record but) when I got back up in the press box, one of my staff said, 'Griffith ran a 10.49.' My response was, 'Who is he and so what.' Then I realized that he was talking about Florence Griffith, and the 10.49 just shattered the world record - 10.76 down to 10.49, it was stunning."
Griffith Joyner, who later won the 100m in 10.61, also won the 200 meters and set a new American mark in the event. She became one the biggest stories of the Olympic year, and not just for her athletic prowess, but for her sense of style as well. Griffith Joyner's low-cut one-legged spandex bodysuits and her colorfully painted six-inch fingernails captured plenty of attention as well. "Normally our staff at these events will do quotes and they will do race reviews and things like that," Cava said. "(At those trials) they were doing fashion reviews with their commentary on what she wore to each race. No one had seen anything like this before."
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