Rafer Johnson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Rafer Johnson

Rafer Johnson at the 1960 Olympics
Personal information
Full name	Rafer Lewis Johnson
Born	(1934-08-18)August 18, 1934 Hillsboro, Texas, U.S.
Died	December 2, 2020(2020-12-02) (aged 86) Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	91 kg (201 lb)
Spouse(s)	Elizabeth Thorsen ​ (m. 1971)​
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Decathlon
Club	Southern California Striders, Anaheim
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	100 m – 10.3 (1957) 220 yd – 21.0 (1956) 400 m – 47.9 (1956) 110 mH – 13.8 (1956) HJ – 1.89 m (1955) PV – 4.09 m (1960) LJ – 7.76 m (1956) SP – 16.75 m (1958) DT – 52.50 m (1960) JT – 76.73 m (1960) Decathlon – 8392 (1960)
Medal record Representing  United States Olympic Games Gold 1960 Rome Decathlon Silver 1956 Melbourne Decathlon Pan American Games Gold 1955 Mexico City Decathlon

Rafer Lewis Johnson (August 18, 1934 – December 2, 2020) was an American athlete and actor. He was best known for competing in the decathlon. This event combines ten different track and field challenges. Rafer won a gold medal in the decathlon at the 1960 Olympics in Rome. He had also won a silver medal in 1956.

Before his Olympic wins, he earned a gold medal at the 1955 Pan American Games. Rafer was chosen to carry the USA team's flag at the 1960 Olympics. He also had the honor of lighting the Olympic cauldron at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984.

In 1968, Rafer Johnson helped catch Sirhan Sirhan after a serious incident involving Robert F. Kennedy. After retiring from sports, Johnson became an actor and sportscaster. He also played a big part in starting the California Special Olympics.

Rafer Johnson's Early Life and Sports Career

Rafer Johnson was born in Hillsboro, Texas, on August 18, 1934. His family moved to Kingsburg, California, when he was nine years old. They were the only Black family in the town for some time.

Becoming a Versatile Athlete

Rafer was a very talented athlete. He played on his high school's football, baseball, and basketball teams. He was also elected class president in both junior high and high school.

When he was 16, his coach took him to watch Bob Mathias compete in the 1952 U.S. Olympic decathlon trials. Rafer felt he could do well in the event. Weeks later, he entered a high school decathlon and won. He also won the California state high school decathlon meets in 1953 and 1954.

College Success and World Records

In 1954, Rafer started at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He quickly became very good at the decathlon. He even broke the world record in only his fourth competition. He was also class president at UCLA. In 1955, he won the decathlon title at the Pan American Games in Mexico City.

Rafer qualified for both the decathlon and the long jump at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. An injury kept him from competing in the long jump. Despite this, he still won second place in the decathlon. This was his last defeat in the event.

Olympic Gold in Rome

Rafer missed the 1957 and 1959 seasons due to injuries. But he broke the world record again in 1958 and 1960. The highlight of his career was at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. His main competitor was Yang Chuan-Kwang (C. K. Yang) from Taiwan. Yang also studied at UCLA, and they trained together. They were good friends.

In the decathlon, the lead changed between them. After nine events, Rafer was slightly ahead. But Yang was known to be better at the final event, the 1500 meters. Rafer ran his personal best time in the 1500m. He finished just 1.2 seconds slower than Yang. This allowed him to win the gold medal by 58 points. He set an Olympic record with 8,392 points. Both athletes were very tired after the race. They leaned on each other for support. After this victory, Rafer ended his amazing athletic career.

Basketball and Football

At UCLA, Rafer also played basketball for coach John Wooden. He was a starter for the UCLA Bruins team in 1958–59. Coach Wooden thought Rafer was a great defensive player. Rafer was also chosen by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1959 NFL Draft to play football.

Life After Sports

After his athletic career, Rafer Johnson explored other interests.

Acting Career

In 1960, Rafer started acting in movies and working as a sportscaster. He appeared in several films, mostly in the 1960s. Some of his movies include The Sins of Rachel Cade (1961), Wild in the Country (1961) with Elvis Presley, and None but the Brave (1965). He also appeared in two Tarzan films and the James Bond movie Licence to Kill (1989).

Public Service and the Special Olympics

Rafer Johnson was involved in the 1968 presidential campaign for Senator Robert F. Kennedy. On June 5, 1968, Rafer, along with football player Rosey Grier, helped to stop Sirhan Sirhan after a tragic event at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.

Rafer was a key person in starting the California Special Olympics. He served on the organizing committee for the first Special Olympics competition in Chicago in 1968. The next year, he helped found the California Special Olympics. In 1969, Rafer and volunteers held a competition at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. About 900 people with intellectual disabilities took part.

Rafer became one of the first members of the Special Olympics Board of Directors. He worked to raise money and offer programs like swimming and track and field. He was elected president of the board in 1983 and served until 1992. Then he became Chairman of the Board of Governors.

Family Life

Rafer Johnson married Elizabeth Thorsen in 1971. They had two children and four grandchildren.

Rafer's brother, Jimmy, is a famous football player. His daughter, Jennifer, competed in beach volleyball at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. His son, Joshua, also competed in track and field. He placed well in the javelin throw at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Achievements and Recognition

Johnson carrying the flag at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome

Rafer Johnson in 2016.

Rafer Johnson received many honors throughout his life.

• In 1958, Sports Illustrated named him their Sportsman of the Year.
• In 1960, he won the James E. Sullivan Award. This award goes to the best amateur athlete in the United States. He was the first Black athlete to win this award.
• He was chosen to light the Olympic Flame at the opening ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
• In 1994, he was inducted into the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame.
• In 1998, ESPN named him one of the 100 Greatest North American Athletes of the 20th Century.
• In 2006, the NCAA named him one of the 100 Most Influential Student Athletes of the past 100 years.
• In 2009, he was inducted into the California Hall of Fame.

Several schools are named after Rafer Johnson. These include Rafer Johnson Junior High School in Kingsburg, California. There are also Rafer Johnson Community Day School and Rafer Johnson Children's Center in Bakersfield, California. The Children's Center, which helps special education students, holds an annual Rafer Johnson Day. Rafer himself would attend and cheer on hundreds of students with special needs.

In 2014, he received the Athletes in Excellence Award. This was for his community service and work with young people.

Death

Rafer Johnson passed away on December 2, 2020, in Sherman Oaks, California. He was 86 years old.

Sporting positions
Preceded by Don McDermott	Flagbearer for  United States Rome 1960	Succeeded by Bill Disney
Preceded by Sanda Dubravčić	Final Olympic torchbearer Los Angeles 1984	Succeeded by Robyn Perry
Preceded by Sergei Belov	Final Summer Olympic torchbearer Los Angeles 1984	Succeeded by Chung Sun-Man, Sohn Mi-Chung and Kim Won-Tak
Preceded by Martin Lauer	Track & Field Athlete of the Year 1960	Succeeded by Ralph Boston
Records
Preceded by Bob Mathias	Men's decathlon world record holder June 11, 1955 – May 18, 1958	Succeeded by Vasili Kuznetsov
Preceded by Vasili Kuznetsov	Men's decathlon world holder July 28, 1958 – May 17, 1959	Succeeded by Vasili Kuznetsov
Preceded by Vasili Kuznetsov	Men's decathlon world record holder July 9, 1960 – April 28, 1963	Succeeded by Yang Chuan-Kwang

Images for kids

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  Rafer Johnson at the 1972 Special Olympics

See also

In Spanish: Rafer Johnson para niños