Biography

Having been dubbed ‘The Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century’ by Sports Illustrated, Jackie Joyner Kersee’s athletic accomplishments are literally second to none. By the conclusion of her career in the heptathlon and long jump events she had amassed six Olympic medals (3 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze) and four World Champion titles over four consecutive Olympic Games. Jackie was the first woman in history to earn more than 7,000 points in the heptathlon and today, over 20 years later, she still holds the world heptathlon record of 7,291 points. She continues to hold the Olympic and national records in the long jump and her 1994 performance in the long jump remains the second longest in history.

In addition to heptathlon and long jump, Jackie was a world class 100m and 200m runner and, after a decorated All-American career in basketball at UCLA, she eventually played professional basketball for a short time. Jackie’s athletic accomplishments have been well documented and remain some of the best ever across all of sports. Less well know are her tireless efforts and remarkable accomplishments off the field as a philanthropist and an advocate for children’s education, health issues (in particular asthma from which she has suffered through- out her life), racial equality, social reform and women’s rights.

Born in 1962, in East St. Louis, IL, Jackie came from very humble beginnings but despite the at times, very strained conditions she describes her early home life as being full of love, principle and discipline. These ingrained values have served Jackie well both on and off the field through her life. She has been described by the sports media as one of the warmest, most even-tempered, grace- filled persons in all of athletics.

One of four children to Mary and Alfred Joyner, Jackie’s older brother Al went on to become an Olympic Champion triple jumper and married Florence Griffith (Joyner), a five time Olympic medalist. In 1986 she married her long time coach, Bob Kersee.

Jackie is the author of both A Kind of Grace (1997), her autobiography, and A Woman’s Place is Everywhere. She is an active professional speaker and is widely considered one of the most inspiring motivational speakers in all of sports. Jackie speaks on topics of athletics, business success, living with the limitations of medical issues, nutrition, women’s issue and youth advocacy.

 
 
Read More

Videos

Jackie Joyner-Kersee: In the Know Intro

Jackie Joyner-Kersee speaks at theYWCA Annual Lunch 2012

Request Availability

Speech TopicsExpand each topic to learn more

The Power of Caring: The Jackie Joyner-Kersee Youth Center Foundation

This speaker tailors this topic for each event. Please let us know if you'd like us to source a topic description.

Asthma All-Star: Jackie Joyner-Kersee

This speaker tailors this topic for each event. Please let us know if you'd like us to source a topic description.

Jackie's Gold Medal Faith: Running the Race with Grace & Humility On & Off the Track

This speaker tailors this topic for each event. Please let us know if you'd like us to source a topic description.

Blog Posts

Event Planning AI Revolution Transforms How Professionals Create Seamless Experiences

AI keynote speaker Kate O'Neill share event planning strategies that can help professionals streamline workflows while preserving human connection.

Read More

Persuasion Without Pressure: Why Service-Based Influence Wins Every Time

People resist persuasion but crave great service. Learn how to influence through assistance, not manipulation, with proven strategies from Dan Pink.

Read More

Team Energy Solutions That Transform Workplace Culture with Judi Holler

Discover proven team energy strategies from keynote speaker Judi Holler that transform workplace culture and unlock your team's creative potential.

Read More

How Event Professionals Can Recover from Burnout Without Sacrificing Success

Learn how event pros can build mental resilience and prevent workplace exhaustion with these proven burnout recovery strategies.

Read More

Why Human Connection Drives Real Change

Change keynote speaker April Rinne discussing human-centered change strategies that go beyond listing what you want to transform in your life.

Read More

AI Strategies to Increase Productivity According to Lisa Bodell

Learn AI productivity strategies from innovation keynote speaker Lisa Bodell to automate routine tasks and reclaim time for creative work.

Read More

Related Elite Performance Speakers

Contact Us Today

  • Fill out the form so we can best understand your needs.
    A representative from The Keynote Curators will reach out to you.

  • MM slash DD slash YYYY
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.