At 20, he had been ordained a minister of the Church of the Brethren, an Anabaptist denomination, and the news media had reflexively called him the Vaulting Vicar and the Pole Vaulting Pastor. Pole vault. INDIANAPOLIS (AP)Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, died Sunday. He fared much better in his next two Olympic appearances. INDIANAPOLIS -- Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, died Sunday. Bob Richards was born on February 20, 1926 in Champaign, Illinois, USA. It is a Monday night, and he is to address the annual awards dinner of the Evansville Sales and Marketing Executives Club, attended by some 200 salesmen and their ladies.. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. Hospital food is a punchline. Known alternatively as the Vaulting Vicar and the Pole Vaulting Pastor, Mr. Richards was one of the most dominating athletes of his time, leaping as high as 15 feet 6 inches with a stiff metal pole in the days before flexible fiberglass helped Olympic vaulters cross over bars nearly 20 feet in height. Several of his children and grandchildren became competitive pole vaulters, surpassing his 15 feet 6 inches by several feet - though they werent vaulting with a metal pole. He was 97. 2-time Olympic pole vault champion Bob Richards dies at 97, Wizards show plenty of heart early but cant find an edge late in Chicago. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. There is no feeling in the world that can match it, Richards said in 2016. American pole vaulter Bob Richards, left, talks with Brazilian pole vaulter Helcio Buck-Silva during a break in a training session in Helsinki, July 11, 1952. After winning a second goal medal, Mr. Richardss career as pitchman took off, buoyed not just by Wheaties but also his popular 1959 autobiography Heart of a Champion.. With none of the nine candidates running for Chicago mayor achieving more than 50% of the vote for an outright victory, the election moves to a runoff. He was 97. And the bigger your challenge, the bigger you become as a person. July 15, 2010. 1. When he turned 20, Mr. Richards was ordained in the Church of the Brethren. With the help of gynecologic oncology specialists at Providence, Amy beat cancerand found the courage to accomplish things shed never dreamed of. Time skulks along slowly between the arrival of each Olympics, an. In addition to the gold medals he won at the 1952 Olympics in Finland and the 1956 Games in Australia, Mr. Richards won 17 national pole vault championships and was ranked No. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. That distinction, as Richards acknowledged, belonged to Cornelius Warmerdam, a Californian who used bamboo poles to set world records of about 15 feet 8 inches in the early 1940s. It was the greatest jump of my life, Richards said. Robert Eugene "Bob" Richards (born February 20, 1926), nicknamed the "Vaulting Vicar" or the "Pole Vaulting Parson" in his competitive days, was an American athlete who was known for pole vaulting in the Olympics.He competed in the 1948 (where he won a bronze medal), 1952 (gold medal), and 1956 Summer Olympics (gold medal) as a pole vaulter, and as a decathlete in 1956. Long before modern athletes began riding fiberglass poles to unimaginable heights, the Rev. A Facebook post . Corrections? A million guys stronger, faster, he continued. Robert Eugene Richards (February 20, 1926 - February 26, 2023) was an American athlete, minister, and politician. He earned a bachelors degree in 1947 and a masters in 1948. In 1970, he bicycled 3,300 miles from Los Angeles to New York to promote fitness. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Sabres place Alex Tuch on injured reserve; top-line winger's status is uncertain, Nebraska cheerleader competes by herself at state competition, but crowd doesn't let her feel alone, Paula's Donuts to move Clarence store that faced backlash for tax breaks to Amherst. Matt Ludwig (unat) 19- | 5.80: 5. He had been a pastor in California only briefly, but the dual image of minister and champion athlete was irresistible on the speaking circuit. He was 97. His sons followed in his pole-vaulting footsteps. [1952] Was the Gold Medalist in Pole Vault at the Pan American Games in Mexico City. ; a brother; and 31 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Bears explore trade for No. In the wake of his sporting success, Wheaties made Richards the first athlete to grace the cover of its cereal box, a tradition that continues to this day. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Share with Us. Staff report. Long before modern athletes began . (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). In 1958, Olympic pole vaulter Bob Richards became the first athlete to be featured on the front of a Wheaties box. INDIANAPOLIS Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, died Sunday. INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole vault gold medalist who also became an ordained minister, died Sunday. He is the only two-time male Olympic gold medal winner in the pole vault, and also won gold medals at the 1951 and 1955 Pan American Games, while earning silver in the decathlon at the 55 Pan American Games. He was 97. You can cancel at any time. He was 97. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. His son, Brandon, wrote in a social media post that his father passed in his sleep peacefully surrounded by loved ones.. (The first was Cornelius Dutch Warmerdam. Joe Dial ('81) and nephew Bruce Dial ('93) both ranked No. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Richards passed at the age of 97 "peacefully in his sleep and surrounded by loved ones" according to his son Brandon's social media post.. In the United States presidential election, 1984 Richards ran for President of the Uni From Champaign, Illinois, Richards went on to become a six-time NCAA champion at the University of Illinois. He played basketball. Bob Richards 2.jpg 801 1,000; 128 KB. He was also a successful businessman who formerly owned Bear Ridge Golf Course and Lake Waco Golf Club. Story Links. The Washington Post - Bob Richards, an ordained minister who became the first athlete to appear on the front of a Wheaties box after he won two Olympic gold medals in the pole vault during the 1950s, an accomplishment he parlayed into a successful career as a motivational speaker, died Feb. 26 at his home in Waco, Tex. He won a bronze medal in his first Olympic go-round, followed by back-to-back gold medals. In his day, he was considered the greatest pole vaulter in history. The busy and popular local doughnut chain will move its operations from 8560 Main St. to 8010 Transit Road this spring. Carmel man on meth, weapons charges, Start-over is in the works for Mount Carmel City Pool fix plans, Richland Co. assessment multiplier issued. 1 eight times in an . Sportswriters called him "the Vaulting Vicar" because he was an ordained minister. He was 97. The Champaign native went on to become a six-time NCAA champion at the University of Illinois. American athletics competitor, pole vaulter. He became a pastor who went all around to give lectures, leading to a career as a motivational speaker. In a matter of minutes he has the Evansville salesmen in his grip. Bob Richards, a two-time . Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson appear headed for the April 4 election. His sons followed in his pole-vaulting footsteps. Richards also competed as a decathlete in the 1956 Olympics. 'Bo was a legend', 5 CT companies hiring for 100 or more positions, Elizabeth's Cafe in Madison to be razed for new restaurant, housing, The Best Window Replacement Companies in CT, Guide to Legal Cannabis Dispensaries in CT, The Best Kitchen Remodeling Companies in CT, The Best Bathroom Remodeling Companies in CT, Video of fatal police shooting of CT man will not be released yet, Cannabis activists want more CT criminal cases dropped, expunged, CT DOT faces criticism following overnight tree-cutting, Haar: $1M in payouts approved, and CT still has a garbage crisis. His track and field legacy will endure, too. He was the second person ever to pole vault over 15 feet (4.6 metres), a feat he accomplished in 1947. AP Photo/Olympic World Photo, Pool, File Low near 40F. FILE - American pole vaulter Bob Richards, left, talks with Brazilian pole vaulter Helcio Buck-Silva during a break in a training session in Helsinki, July 11, 1952. But pole vaulting, which he took up in junior high, was his obsession. American pole vaulter Bob Richards won the bronze medal at the Summer Olympics in London in 1948. In 1970, he married Vonda Joan Beaird. 20 February 1926 in Champaign, Illinois), versatile track and field athlete who was the only man to win two Olympic pole vault titles, and who used his ministry and celebrity status to motivate millions of Americans.Richards was the third of five children of Leslie Richards, a telephone linesman, and Margaret Palfrey Richards, a homemaker. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, Ravens hope to extend Lamar Jackson by Tuesday, but will consider options. "He was the greatest dad I could ever ask for and I will miss him dearly.". He dove. He was 97. They remain pole vault gold for all that take the time to listen to his stories. Richards continues to reside on his ranch near Waco, Texas. 1 pole vaulter for eight consecutive years. Bob Richards, a three-time olympian and the first athlete to ever be featured on a Wheaties cereal box, has died, his son said on social media. Pole vaulter Bob Richards passes away. If youve got a little tiny goal, a little tiny challenge, youll never make it., He brought up the boxer Cassius Clay, later known as Muhammad Ali, who was famous for saying, Im the greatest!, You know how important it is to feel that way about yourself? Mr. Richards said. 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Bob Richards, the only male two-time winner of the Olympic pole vault, who in the 1950s became a hero of American Cold War competition with the Soviet Union and . He got into some typical teenage troubles in high school, but was set straight by a minister of the Church of the Brethren. from Illinois. Warmerdam, known as Dutch, might have been an odds-on Olympic favorite, but he never got to compete because the quadrennial Games were suspended in 1940 and 1944 for World War II, when he was serving as a Navy officer. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. He also won 17 AAU championships in indoor and outdoor vaulting competitions, and United States decathlon championships in 1951, 1954 and 1955. He became a pastor who went all around to give lectures, leading to a career as a motivational speaking. Robert Eugene Richards was born on Feb. 20, 1926, in Champaign, Ill., the third of five children of Leslie and Margaret (Palfrey) Richards. Be Proactive. Originally published on thecentersquare.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange. Feb 27 (Reuters) - Double Olympic pole vault champion Bob Richards died on Sunday aged 97, his family said on Facebook. Brandon`s father, Bob Richards, is to the pole vault what Babe Ruth is to the home run: a standard of comparison. From Champaign, Illinois, Richards went on to become a six-time NCAA champion at the University of Illinois. Richards was interested in athletics from boyhood, participating in diving and tumbling before . The two-time Olympic gold medalist was 97. His son, Brandon, wrote in a social media post that his father "passed in his sleep peacefully surrounded by loved ones.". A native of Pomona, California, Seagren was one of the world's top pole vaulters in the late 1960s and early 1970s. You have permission to edit this article. He became an ordained minister and preached at churches and gatherings all over the world, earning the monikers the Vaulting Vicar and the Pole Vaulting Pastor. Richards became a popular and prolific public speaker who gave more than 25,000 speeches to businesses and organizations worldwide, Brandon said. Bob Richards, a two-time Olympic pole . He was 97. But he escaped the street life into religion and athletics. A year later, General Mills tapped him as its pitchman on the front of Wheaties cereal boxes and in television commercials. Growing up, he excelled in sports. Its the climax of all your dreams.