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Athlete Bio#
Age
78
Hometown
Jamaica, NY
Education
Jamaica High School (Jamaica, N.Y.) North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College
Quick Facts
- Orphaned before his first birthday
- New York state-record holder in long jump and Junior Olympian
- Organized South Florida Inner-City Games with Arnold Schwarzenegger for at-risk youth
- Chairman of the Bob Beamon United Way Golf Classic
- Served as ambassador for the Special Olympics
- Creator of the motivational program, “The Champion in You.”
- Father to two children, Tameka and Deanna.
Olympic Experience
- 1-time Olympian; 1-time Olympic medalist (1 gold)
- Olympic Games Mexico City 1968, gold (Long Jump - Men)
Hall Of Fame Bio #
Bob Beamon is an American long jumper who set the world record en route to the gold medal at the Olympic Games Mexico City 1968, jumping 8.90 meters (29 feet 2 1/2 inches) to surpass the former record by more than 21 inches. The Jamaica, New York, native was a state-record holder and Junior Olympian prior to competing at the Olympic Games Mexico City 1968, and he earned the silver medal in long jump at the 1967 Pan American Games. Following his athletic career, Beamon remains active within the Olympic Movement and has served as an ambassador to the Special Olympics, as well as developing his own motivational program, entitled “The Champion in You.”
