Wilma Rudolph was born on June 23, 1940, in St Bethlehem, Tennessee. She was the youngest of 20 children in her family and grew up in a very poor household. Despite the challenges she faced, Wilma showed a remarkable talent for athletics at an early age. When she was 13 years old, she contracted polio, which caused her to walk with a limp. However, with the support of her family and community, Wilma was able to overcome this obstacle and went on to become one of the greatest athletes of all time.