Jackie Joyner-Kersee receives prestigious Musial Lifetime Achievement award

published December 13 2017 2:41 PM

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ST. LOUIS – One of the greatest female athletes of all time now has another accolade to add to her list. Jackie Joyner-Kersee recently received the Musial Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes an iconic sports figure who is synonymous with sportsmanship and exemplifies the class, generosity, excellence, and integrity for which Stan the Man was known.

The East St. Louis native is the first woman to ever receive the award, and now joins the ranks of other renowned athletes, such as Joe Torre (2014), Arnold Palmer (2015) and Cal Ripken Jr. (2016) as recipients. Joyner-Kersee was chosen to receive the Musial Lifetime Achievement Award, not just for her athletic achievements, but also because of the impact she has made on the St. Louis region, in particular, the youth of East St. Louis.

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“To me, that’s what makes this honor even more special,” said Joyner-Kersee. “I don’t do the work to be recognized, but when others see your efforts and want to applaud you for that work, it means a lot. Growing up, I had wonderful coaches who always stressed the importance of giving back, and that always stuck with me. As I continue my journey, I try to find time to talk to the young people, to share some of what I’ve learned and share the experiences I’ve had. I try to teach them that it doesn’t take much to share a little bit of your time, but it can really make a big difference in someone else’s life,” said Joyner-Kersee.

The Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center in East St. Louis serves more than 2,000 at-risk kids each year through its programming. Its mission is to instill youth in the Greater East St. Louis area with the dream, drive, and determination, necessary to succeed in academics, athletics and leadership. The Musial Lifetime Achievement Awards is scheduled to air on Dec. 18th in select markets, nationwide.

For more information about this story, or about the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation, please contact Jessica Williams at 618-772-2349 or go to the Foundation’s website at jjkfoundation.org.