The school said in arelease he held the ranking as the No. A motivational speaker, also known as an inspirational speaker, delivers speeches with the intention of motivating or inspiring an audience. His parents were divorced when he was a teenager, but a minister gave him a home, steered him away from the streets and awakened his interest in religion. 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Stephen Richards Covey was an American educator, author, businessman, and keynote speaker. 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. You are what you do! "He was the greatest dad I could ever ask for and I will miss him dearly," Brandon Richards said. Long before modern athletes began . He retired to a ranch in Waco, where he owned a golf course. "We are very fortunate to have Bob Richards come and speak at our college," Hill College President Dr. Pam Boehm said. Communicate with the Motivational Speaker you select to work out the details of your event. Bike-Path Attackers Mother Says She Wanted Tired Son to Leave U.S. Kellyanne Conway Meets With Prosecutors as Trump Inquiry Escalates, U.K. Police Charge 3rd Man in Effort to Kill Russian Dissident, Review: For Armory Recitals, a Modest but Memorable Return, Review: After Merce, the Dances Go On, and Go On to Inspire, Yaya DaCosta Joins Elite Society in Our Kind of People, All of Aaron Judges Home Runs, From 1 to 40, For Colored Girls to Close on Broadway, Reflecting Tough Season, Mikaela Shiffrin and Aleks Kilde Are Ski Racings Power Couple. It would be fair to say that his work's been very influential in developing the careers of countless people within the personal development industry, including Jack Canfield, Brian Tracy, Mark Victor Hansen and Anthony Robbins. The family that plays and prays together stays together, Richards intoned on countless occasions. Sometimes in life, God gives us a difficulty in order to bring out the fighting spirit. When Richards finally triumphed with an Olympic record of 14 feet 11-1/4 inches, a defeated Soviet rival, Viktor Knyazev, clasped him in a bear hug. He earned a bachelors degree in 1947 and a masters in 1948. 0 0 6 minutes read. According to U.S.A Track and Field, Richards had been the oldest living track and field gold medalist at the time of his death. Even Richardss son Brandon, as a teenager using a fiberglass pole in 1985, vaulted 18 feet 2 inches, which was then a national record for a high schooler and stood for 14 years. Bob showed early abilities in basketball and was a pole-vaulter and a star quarterback at Champaign Central High School. 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. Ingenuity, plus courage, plus work, equals miracles. His image was on Wheaties boxes from 1958 to 1970, and from 1958 to 1972 he was a ubiquitous presence on television and radio and made numerous national tours, speaking to school and community groups, presenting awards at athletic banquets and generating torrents of publicity. But he escaped the street life into religion and athletics. Quotes tagged as "motivational-speaker" Showing 1-30 of 685. "It's a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.". He became one of Americas most lionized and familiar celebrities. 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. Richards is survived by two sons, Paul and Robert Jr., and a daughter, Carol Stasiewicz, from his first marriage; two sons, Thomas and Brandon, and a daughter, Tammy Richards LeSure, from his second; a brother, Kenny;12 grandchildrenand 19 great-grandchildren. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. Soviet athletes won the medals competition, 98 (37 gold) to 74 (32 gold) for the United States. The Heart of a Champion: Inspiring True Stories of Challenge and Triumph, p.74, Revell, Bob Richards (2009). And he was perfect on the Wheaties box: a muscular all-American with a smile that radiated confidence, health and upright living. But he escaped the street life into religion and athletics. Unique in the industry, DeVolder is one of the few speakers who teaches leaders how to change. 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. He was an inspiration to the late Jim Valvano, who coached N.C. State to the 1983 national basketball title ten years . Up at 6:30, he must motor two hours to Louisville to appear on a morning television show, where he will follow a trained cockatoo. An ordained minister known as the Vaulting Vicar, he was an Olympic gold medal winner and the first athlete to appear on the front of Wheaties boxes. But from 1947 to 1957, he dominated national and international competitions by clearing 15 feet more than 125 times. Bob Richards Motivation for Living - Side 2Robert Eugene Richards (born February 20, 1926) is an American athlete who made three U.S. Olympic Teams in two ev. Pole vaulter Rev. One day, well get out of all this flag-waving and nationalism. We won't share it with anyone else. High 42F. His hands were pointed toward heaven in an attitude of prayer.. He was one of a kind.". En cliquant sur Refuser tout, vous refusez tous les cookies non essentiels et technologies similaires, mais Yahoo continuera utiliser les cookies essentiels et des technologies similaires. All American Entertainment (AAE), is a full-service speakers bureau and talent agency that exclusively represents the interests of event professionals to select, book, and execute events with keynote speakers who leave a lasting impact on their audiences.We work tirelessly for event professionals as their centralized, trusted, and impartial partner in the talent booking process. In 1946, he was ordained and transferred to the University of Illinois. He has been inducted into seven athletic and three speakers Halls of Fame including the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1983 and the United States National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1975. You are what you go for. He also won 17 AAU championships in indoor and outdoor vaulting competitions, and United States decathlon championships in 1951, 1954 and 1955. He also ran for president on the far-right Populist Party ticket in 1984, espousing a platform that called for abolishing personal income taxes, cutting the federal budget in half, repudiating the national debt, deporting illegal immigrants and denying the right to vote to anyone on welfare for more than a year. Capitalizing on his fame, Richards became director of the Wheaties Sports Federation, founded in 1958 after President Dwight D. Eisenhower called for a national physical fitness campaign. Richards was elected to the United States Olympic Hall of Fame in 1983, and to the United States National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1975. Call us at 800-916-6008 for celebrity booking. He was 97. This article highlights the most influential and well-paid motivational speakers across the globe, as reported by LearnBusiness Studies. 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 a breakfast-table hero to millions as the first champion on the front of the Wheaties box, diedon Sunday at his home in Waco, Texas. Here's my list of the top 10 motivational speakers in the world. In 1970, he bicycled 3,300 miles from Los Angeles to New York to promote fitness. 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. They are champions because they've been hurt. Richards was elected to the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1983 after being inducted into the National Track & Field Hall of Fame in 1975, according to U.S.A. Track and Field. His hands were pointed toward heaven in an attitude of prayer., Your email address will not be published. UU. To book Leicester Tigers Legend, Dean Richards, as the rugby speaker for your corporate event , function or conference, simply contact the Champions Rugby Speakers agency by filling in our online contact form. In his Facebook post, Brandon Richards said his father began reading the Bible and preaching as a way to overcome his stuttering. He received the Sullivan Award in 1951 as the nations best amateur athlete. This is true in all of life. Richards was inducted into the US Olympic Hall of Fame in 1983 after a career that included winning at the Millrose Games 11 straight times. One of the great lessons I've learned in athletics is that you've got to discipline your life. Germany Kent. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. Richards himself never vaulted more than 15 feet 6 inches. Long before modern athletes began riding fiberglass poles to unimaginable heights, the Rev. Robert (Bob) Richards generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. That marriage ended in divorce. He was 97. Besides winning two gold medals in the Olympics in the 1950s, he took a bronze medal at the 1948 Olympics in London and gold at the Pan American Games in 1951 and 1955. Packed with options that allow you to completely customize your website to your needs. Faith gives courage. He tallied about 66,000 votes out of 92.6 million as President Ronald Reagan and the Republicans trounced Walter Mondale, the former Democratic vice president and senator from Minnesota. Jason Garrett for Bynum School. 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. He was 97. Richards has delivered over 12,000 speeches spanning the past 50 years, and he has spoken to more than seven million high school students. Facebook . Topeka Mayors Advice for Mayor Adams: Learn Humility. Chris Gardner. His hands were pointed toward heaven in an attitude of prayer., Bob Richards, 97, pole-vaulting star who landed on Wheaties box, dies. But from 1947 to 1957, he dominated national and international competitions by clearing 15 feet more than 125 times. They often encourage their audience to look at things from a different and perspective, and motivate them to take positive action in their lives. He won a bronze medal in his first Olympic go-around, followed by back-to-back gold medals. The inspiration was Bob had seen Chris do a coach lecturing . He also won 17 A.A.U. Emmitt Smith for Better Man Ministries. Advertisement You have permission to edit this article. February 28, 2023 / 8:24 PM When in was in Jr High School my PE/Health teachers had 30 minute films of Bob, that they showed us. Richards competed at the 1948, 52, and 56 Olympics in the pole vault. Simrin Singh is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News. Todays top male vaulters, with refined techniques and springy fiberglass poles that bow almost to U shapes, routinely soar over crossbars set above 19 feet. He is an entrepreneur, a business consultant, a writer, and a teacher who focuses on guiding people in putting their ideas into action. Dr. Mark DeVolder | Motivational Speaker on Change and Employee Engagement. Todays top male vaulters, with refined techniques and springy fiberglass poles that bow almost to U shapes, routinely soar over crossbars set above 19 feet. Cold War tensions again played out in the 1956 Melbourne Games. "He passed in his sleep peacefully surrounded by loved ones. After a year at Bethany Biblical Seminary in Chicago, he taught at Illinois and then joined the faculty of the Brethren-affiliated La Verne College, now the University of La Verne, in California, and was pastor of a Brethren church in Long Beach until his busy athletic schedule forced him to resign. He was #1 in my book as a motivational speaker. Robert Eugene Richards was born in Champaign, Ill.He showed early abilities in basketball and was a pole-vaulter and a star quarterback at Champaign Central High School. Richards was elected to the United States Olympic Hall of Fame in 1983, and to the United States National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1975. Start a Free Trial Motivational speakers 1. You are what you think you are. Bob's sketch was next-level hilarity and Chris Farley brought it to life in a way that nobody could've ever imagined. "To achieve goals you've never achieved before, you need to start doing things you've never done before." ~ Stephen Covey. Richards in 1951. En cliquant sur Accepter tout, vous acceptez que Yahoo et nos partenaires traitent vos informations personnelles et utilisent des technologies telles que les cookies pour afficher des publicits et des contenus personnaliss, et des fins de mesure des publicits et des contenus, dtude des audiences et de dveloppement de produit. Every day we present the best quotes! He retired to a ranch in Waco, where he owned a golf course. Bob Richards is a champion all-around athlete, a former holder of the Olympic pole vault record, the Olympic gold medalist in men's pole vault for 1952 and 1956, and former director of the Wheaties Sports Federation. Long before modern athletes began riding fiberglass poles to unimaginable heights, the Rev. His autobiography, Heart of a Champion, was published in 1959. BYU Cross Country and Track Teams 1964-1968 PRs: 880 1:50.1, mile 4:01.2, and 3000-meter Steeplechase 8:38.1 1968 WAC Champion - Cross Country, one-mile, three-mile, and 3000-meter steeplechase Please enter valid email address to continue. She died in 2019. Until 2012, he had lived on a ranch in Santo, Texas, which he named the Crossbar Ranch and which was involved in numerous commercial activities, including oil and gas exploration and horse and cattle grazing. championships in indoor and outdoor vaulting competitions, and United States decathlon championships in 1951, 1954 and 1955. His parents were divorced when he was a teenager, but a minister gave him a home, steered him away from the streets and awakened his interest in religion. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Paul Snelgrove, Dr. Hendrik Poinar, Michael Archer, Bart Knols and Bruno Maisonnier. "He always motivated us kids the same way to be the best we could be.". The world record is held by Armand Duplantis, an American-born Swedish athlete known as Mondo, who on Feb. 25 vaulted 20 feet 4-3/4 inches. Bob was world class in his events. Faith gives courage. Richards made the Olympic team that competed in the Games in London in 1948 and won a bronze medal. Bob RichardsGold MedalistMonday, February 15, 2016, 7:30 p.m. A two-time Olympic gold medalist in pole vaulting and the first person ever to appear on a Wheaties cereal box will be this years speaker at the Hill College Alden J. Blanar Smith Speaker Series on Feb. 15 in the Vara Martin Daniel Performing Arts Center in Hillsboro. He was 97. Bob Richards, the ordained minister nicknamed the Vaulting Vicar, at the Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, in 1952, when he won a gold medal. In his life after sports, Richards portrayed himself in a television biography, Leap to Heaven (1957); hosted a weekly childrens television program in Los Angeles; reported for NBC, CBS and ABC on the Olympic Games in Rome; Innsbruck, Austria; Tokyo and Montreal; and delivered some 12,000 motivational speeches to corporate sales forces, high school students and community organizations. Your email address will not be published. He graduated from high school in 1943, and in 1944 he enrolled at the Brethren-affiliated Bridgewater College in Virginia. The duel for the gold medal was waged between Richards and fellow American Don Laz. LONDON - Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, have been asked to give up the royal residence gifted to them to use by Queen Elizabeth II. Even Richardss son Brandon, as a teenager using a fiberglass pole in 1985, vaulted 18 feet 2 inches, which was then a national record for a high schooler and stood for 14 years. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The family that plays and prays together stays together, Richards intoned on countless occasions. His son, Brandon,. The 1952 Olympic Games were a symbolic watershed in the Cold War. The Heart of a Champion: Inspiring True Stories of Challenge and Triumph, p.108, Revell, There is a mistake in the text of this quote. Soviet athletes won the medals competition, 98 (37 gold) to 74 (32 gold) for the United States. He continued participating in track and field events as he aged, joining the World Masters Games in quadrennial competitions popular with retired professional athletes and former Olympic competitors. After his athletic career, the "Pole Vaulting Pastor" went on to become a sportscaster and motivational speaker, Brandon Richards said. They both cleared 4.50m with their second attempt and then missed twice at 4.55m. And Richards made history, becoming the only male two-time winner of the Olympic pole vault, and with another record: 14 feet 11-1/2 inches. 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Of your event perfect on the Wheaties box: a muscular all-American with a that. Be published 1944 he enrolled at the Brethren-affiliated Bridgewater College in Virginia past 50 years, and keynote speaker basketball. Influential and well-paid motivational speakers across the globe, as reported by LearnBusiness Studies and a masters in and! For and I will miss him dearly, '' Brandon Richards said his began... Athletics is that you 've got to discipline your life long before modern began!