Jacqueline Joyner-Kersee (born March 3, 1962) is a retired American track and field athlete, ranked among the all-time greatest athletes in the heptathlon as well as long jump. She won three gold, one silver, and two bronze Olympic medals in those two events at four different Olympic Games. Sports Illustrated for Women magazine voted Joyner-Kersee the Greatest Female Athlete of All-Time. She is on the board of directors for USA Track & Field (U.S.A.T.F.), the national governing body of the sport.
Joyner-Kersee is an active philanthropist in children's education, racial equality and women's rights.[3] She is a founder of the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation, which encourages young people in East St. Louis to pursue athletics and academics.She collaborated with Comcast to create the Internet Essentials program in 2011, which provides high-speed internet access to low-income Americans.
Joyner-Kersee is one of the most famous athletes to have overcome severe asthma.