"The feeling of accomplishment welled up inside of me, three Olympic gold medals. I knew that was something nobody could ever take away from me, ever... sometimes it takes years to really grasp what has happened to your life."​​​​​​​

- Wilma Rudolph

“She ran so effortlessly and she could go so fast. She was the greatest. And the symbol of Wilma equals that of Jesse Owens. I think she was for women what Jesse Owens was for men."
- Ollan Cassell, Executive Director of USA Track and Field

"Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. Nobody goes undefeated all the time. If you can pick up after a crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday."

- Wilma Rudolph

"She was dubbed “The Black Gazelle” by the European press for her speed, beauty and grace.​​​​​​​"
- Olympic

"Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.​​​​​​​"

-Wilma Rudolph

"After her success in Rome, Rudolph became a global icon, while back home in the US she was referred to as the “leading lady” and “a queen”. She became one of the mostly highly visible African American women across the country." 
- Vicki Hodges, The Telegraph

"She's done more for her country than what the U.S. could have paid her for."
- Edward Temple