She and her twenty-one sisters and brothers were raised in a poor family.

Rudolph suffered from polio and scarlet fever when she was four years old.

Sicknesses like these were often deadly.

For many years afterward, Rudolph used a leg brace when she walked.

Still, she never lost sight of her dreams.

She battled the chances against her.

With her family's help, she exercised hard every day.

All of her hard work made her strong.

Years later, she gained fame as a world-class athlete.