Florence Griffith-Joyner
Florence Delorez Griffith-Joyner “FloJo” 1959 - 1998
Florence Griffith-Joyner was a world class sprinter who held the title of ‘fastest woman alive’ for nearly two decades. She was born and raised in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, and went on to win five Olympic medals – three gold, two silver. After finishing her collegiate career, Griffith married 1984 Olympic triple jump gold medalist Al Joyner. From this point on, Griffith was affectionately known as “FloJo.”
FloJo was destined to be a track star. At 14, Flojo won the 100m race at the Jesse Owens national youth games. Wanting to stay close to home after graduating, FloJo attended Cal State University Northridge. However, her time at CSUN was cut short. FloJo needed to leave school early to help support her family. She accepted a job as a bank teller until her track career was revived by Coach Bob Kersee.
Coach Kersee helped FloJo enroll at UCLA and this experience catapulted FloJo’s track career. Kersee made FloJo train by running the longest sprint, the 400m. The length of this race gave FloJo the strength to dominate in the short sprints. FloJo was the top point earner for UCLA, and led the team to the first two NCAA women’s track crowns (1982 was the first year the NCAA allowed women to compete). To this day, FloJo remains the only woman to win the NCAA Div 1 Outdoor championships in the 200m and 400m the same year.
FloJo was poised and ready to compete in the 1980 Moscow Olympics, but the U.S. boycott meant FloJo was only able to showcase her talents in ‘84 and ‘88. In her first appearance in the Olympics in 1984, FloJo earned a silver medal in the 200m dash (a race she would later set the world record in).
Flojo was unique and made it easy for spectators to distinguish her from competitors by designing her own uniforms. She also wore long nails, often reaching upwards of six inches in length and the nail polish color matched her uniform. FloJo’s most iconic design includes the full length single leg coverage, with the opposite leg exposed. This look accentuated her flawless musculature and sprinting form.
At the 1988 Olympics, FloJo decided to have fellow Olympic champion and husband Al Joyner train her. She had one of the greatest athletic performances in all of sports history at these games. She won the Gold Medal in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay, and won a silver medal in the 4x400m relay. With her legacy cemented, FloJo retired from track following the 1988 Olympics.
FloJo’s post track was productive and memorable. She wrote several children's books. She published works of poetry. FloJo was on the big screen acting, she designed the basketball jerseys for the Indiana Pacers of the NBA, and remarkably, FloJo served on the President’s council on physical fitness. This position enabled FloJo to inspire generations of Black youth to consider healthy living as a standard.
