Gimlet/Spotify’s NOT PAST IT Podcast Spotlights Olympic GOAT Jessie Owens

As the 2020 (AKA 2021) Olympics continue with its Track & Field competition this week, this week’s episode from the Gimlet/Spotify podcast Not Past It, now available on Spotify HERE, revisits the story of an iconic African American track and field Olympic Gold Medalist Jesse Owens.

Born James Cleveland Owens, the track star was called “J.C.” by his family. On his first day at Bolton Elementary School after moving to Cleveland at age 9, the teacher misheard his Alabama drawl and thought he said his name was “Jesse” instead of “J.C.” Owens was too shy to correct his new teacher in front of his new classmates, and he was called “Jesse” for the rest of his life.

Owens was eventually awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1976 by President Ford. Today, the Jesse Owens Award is given out annually to the top track and field athlete in the United States.

Not Past It host Simone Polanen revisits the story of the world-record-shattering runner from Alabama and one of the greatest athletes in the history of The Ohio State University, who arrived at the 1936 Berlin Games greeted by enthusiastic fans and high expectations. Jesse Owens left Berlin as an international star through his dominating performance, winning 4 gold medals in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, the long jump…