Alma Richards facts for kids
Alma Richards in 1912
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Quick facts for kids Personal information |
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| Born | February 20, 1890 Parowan, Utah, U.S. |
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| Died | April 3, 1963 (aged 73) | ||||||||||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||
| Weight | 84 kg (185 lb) | ||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||
| Event(s) | High jump, long jump, shot put, discus throw, decathlon | ||||||||||
| Club | BYU Cougars, Provo | ||||||||||
| Coached by | Eugene L. Roberts | ||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | HJ – 1.956 m (1915) LJ – 7.125 m (1915) SP – 14.01 m (1916) DT – 44.12 m (1922) |
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Medal record
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Alma Wilford Richards (born February 20, 1890 – died April 3, 1963) was an amazing American athlete. He made history by becoming the first person from Utah to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games. He achieved this incredible feat in 1912 for the high jump event.
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Alma Richards: Olympic Gold Medalist
Alma Richards grew up on a farm in Parowan, Utah. When he was in eighth grade, he decided to leave school. He wanted to see the world and try new things.
From Farm Boy to Olympian
At Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, coach Eugene L. Roberts saw Alma playing basketball. The coach asked him to jump over a six-foot-high bar. Alma did it easily!
The coach then helped Alma raise money to go to the 1912 Olympic Trials. These trials were for the High Jump event. Alma surprised everyone by beating the American champion, George Horine. He then went on to win the gold medal at the Stockholm Olympics in 1912.
Life After the Olympics
Winning an Olympic medal changed Alma's life. It gave him a lot of confidence. He had been an average student before. Now, his desire to learn and his attitude were limitless.
He graduated from Brigham Young University in 1913. Later, he graduated from Cornell University in 1917. At Cornell, he was also part of a special group called Quill and Dagger.
Alma was not just a high jumper. He became a national champion in the high jump in 1913. He also started competing in other events. He became a decathlete, which means he competed in ten different track and field events.
In 1915, Alma became the national decathlon champion. This was at the national AAU championships in San Francisco. He finished far ahead of Avery Brundage, who later led the International Olympic Committee.
Alma was one of the best American decathletes and high jumpers. He was ready for the 1916 Summer Olympics. However, those Games were canceled because of World War I.
Later Years and Legacy
After graduating from Cornell, Alma continued his education. He went to graduate school at Stanford University. Then, he studied law at the University of Southern California.
He earned his law degree and passed the bar exam. But Alma decided not to work as a lawyer. Instead, he chose to become a teacher. He taught science at Venice High School in Los Angeles for 32 years until he retired.
Alma Richards was buried in the Parowan Cemetery, as he wished. He was honored after his death. He was added to the Utah Sports Hall of Fame in 1970. He was also inducted into the Helms Hall of Fame and the Brigham Young University Hall of Fame.
Personal Life
Alma Richards was married twice. His first wife was Marian Gardiner Richards. They had one child named Joanna Richards.
His second wife was Gertrude Huntimer Richards. They had three children together:
- Mary Richards Schraeger
- Anita Richards Ricciardi
- Paul Richards
See also
In Spanish: Alma Richards para niños
