Jackie Joyner Kersee: Records, Husband & Net Worth
When passion burns brighter than fear, it is clear that dreams will be achieved. That is the story of the woman we are going to talk about, and it is none other than Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
Jackie Joyner Kersee is a former American track and field athlete who competed in the Hepthalon and long jump. She is known as one of the greatest female athletes of all time.
But now, she focuses on philanthropic works. She and her husband have opened up their own foundation called the Jackie Joyner Kersee Foundation.
Despite her health problems, she overcame all the difficulties. Whether it be a financial crisis or emotional distress, Jackie faced all problems with a smile on her face.
Without ever relying on drugs, this athlete has performed exceptionally well throughout her career.
In this article, we have mentioned all that you need to know about Jackie Joyner Kersee.
Quick Facts
Here is some quick about the amazing Jackie Joyner Kersee.
| Full name | Jacqueline Joyner |
| Date of birth | March 3rd of, 1962 |
| Age | 62 Years Old |
| Birthplace | East St. Louis, Illinois, USA |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | African American |
| Education | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Father’s name | Alfred Joyner Sr. |
| Mother’s name | Mary Joyner |
| Zodiac sign | Pisces |
| Height | 5 feet and 10 inches |
| Weight | 70 kg |
| Spouse | Bob Kersee |
| Children | None |
| Body Measurement | Unknown |
| Hair color | Brown |
| Eye color | Brown |
| Net Worth | $5 Million |
| Profession | Former track and field athlete |
| Current status | Retired |
| Awards and Achievements | James E. Sullivan Award (1986) Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year (1987) Glamour Woman of the Year Award (1992) |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
| Siblings | Alfred Joyner Jr. |
| Cousin | Kiara Joyner |
| Marital status | Married |
| Spouse | Bob Kersee |
| Nickname | Jackie |
| Salary | Not Available |
| Social Media | Twitter, Instagram |
| Merch | Kenner Timeless Legends, Art Print, Quotes Print |
| Last Update | April, 2024 |
Jackie Joyner-Kersee: Early Life
Jackie Joyner was born on the 3rd of March in 1962. She was born and raised in East St.Louis, Illinois, United States of America.
Her birth name is Jacqueline Joyner, but she prefers to go by Jackie.
She was named after Jacqueline Kennedy, the wife of John Kennedy, former president of the USA.
Her father’s name is Alfred Joyner Sr., and her mother’s name is Mary Joyner. Alfred worked at the construction site while his wife Mary worked as a nurse aid.
The parents were married in their early teens, and Mary had her first child Al at sixteen. Al is the only sibling Jackie has, and the two have a great bond together.
The family had to live in very poor conditions. Jackie grew up in a poverty-stricken area.
The parents worked very hard to make ends meet. They lived in a tiny four-room apartment where the grandmother lived on the sofa; unfortunately, she died.
The sibling remembers crying throughout their childhood for a morsel of basic things.
The siblings saw the 1976 Olympics on television and wanted to be one day on it. So they joined the new track program in town.
The duo started to race against each other, and Jackie often beat Al in the races. However, they eventually made great progress as they practiced each day.
<<Santtu Seppälä: Sarah Rafferty, Family & Net Worth>>
Education
For her high school education, she went to East St. Louis Lincoln senior high school. She excelled in academic qualifications, too, and brought straight A’s.
While in high school, Jackie competed in the 1980 Olympic trials for the long jump, where she finished in 8th position.
Babe Zaharias was her inspiration, who at the time was voted Sports Illustrated’s Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century.
Ironically 15 years later, Jackie would be named the Greatest Female Athlete of All Time right before Zaharias.
After graduation from high school, Jackie was accepted at the University of California, Los Angeles.
At UCLA, she played both basketball and track-field for the entirety of her collegiate years.
Jackie was redshirted in the 1983-1984 season to get ready for the 1984 Olympics.
During her years in the Bruins, they advanced to NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament and lost to Georgia as runner-up.
She was named the top 15 UCLA woman basketball players in 1988.
Jackie was awarded the Broderick award in 1983 and 1985 as the nation’s best collegiate female player.
She was also voted Top Woman Collegiate Athlete in the Past 25 Years by NCAA member schools.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee: Personal Life
Jackie is an American citizen. She belongs to the African American community and is Christian by faith.
Being born in March, she is Pisces in the zodiac charts. Pisces is a water sign.
Pisces people have traits such as being loyal, friendly, outgoing, emotional, empathetic, and helpful. Jackie showcases the humble side of Pisces.
Husband
Her parents didn’t allow her to date until she was eighteen since they got married too young.
Jackie found the love of her life in her training coach, Bob Kersee. The two started training in 1981 and started to get close to each other.
They eventually ended up falling in love and got married in 1986.
The couple seems to be happily married to this day as there have been no reports of any affairs.
The couple never had a kid of their own.
Bob Kersee was one of the most successful coaches of his time. He coached many players to the Olympics gold.
<<Sara Kapfer: Cuba Gooding Jr, Divorce & Net Worth>>
Jackie Joyner-Kersee: Career
Heptathlon was an event almost unknown to America before Jackie came into the picture.
Jackie started her career in 1984 by participating in the Olympics in Los Angeles, where she landed a silver medal in Heptathlon.
In 1986 she scored the most points at Goodwill games, earning her James E. Sullivan Award as the best amateur athlete.
Then in 1988, she entered the Olympics held in Seoul, Korea. There Jackie won two gold medals, one in Heptathlon and the other in the long jump.
Her record of 7291 is a still-standing Heptathlon record to this day.
In addition, she became the first American woman to win gold medals in Long Jump and Heptathlon.
During the 1991 World Championship, Jackie fell into a pit and injured her right hamstring. This led to her pulling out of the Heptathlon on her first day.
Then in the 1992 summer Olympics, Jackie earned her second gold medal in Heptathlon.
The 1996 Olympics, held in Atlanta, Georgia, was Jackie’s last Olympics. Unfortunately, she had injured her hamstring again and withdrew from the competition.
After her track career, Jackie signed with Richmond Rage in the American Basketball league. But she appeared in only 17 games with 15 points total.
She returned to the track for the Goodwill games in 1998, where she won with 6502 points.
Post Track Career
Kersee spends most of her time looking after the Jackie Joyner Kersee Foundation.
Jackie has also helped establish Athletes for Hope in 2007 alongside athletes like Muhammad Ali and Andre Agassi.
She is on the board of USA track and field since 2012. Jackie is also the spokesperson for the TV cable company called Comcast.
The athlete has also appeared in an episode of The Jersey called ‘Legacy.’
She has also written a book named A Kind Grace: The Autobiography of the World’s Greatest Female Athlete.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee: Controversy
Jackie and Bob Kersee both have found themselves in quite a few controversies.
The problems started with the finance management of the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation.
According to IRS, they filed federal tax liens against the foundation in 2006 and 2010, totaling up to 1.3 million dollars.
Similarly, the foundation had similar charges against them in the 1990s, which they paid off.
The Kersee’s denied such allegation by reporting they had relied on their accountant to do all the filing. They eventually paid off the tax with proper documentation.
Jackie also faced doping allegations by a reporter, which led her to break down in the interview.
She swore that she never used enhancing drugs because she saw her grandmother degrading her life to alcohol and drugs.
The allegations were never proven and were just rumors.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee: Net Worth
With an outstanding career like hers, Jackie was bound to earn a great fortune.
Jackie Joyner Kersee’s worth is $5 million.
Her exact salary is unknown since she is retired. But she owns houses in California and New York.
With combined assets, the couple seems to have a comfortable life.
The couple spends their fortune on philanthropy. They believe in giving back to the less fortunate ones.
Through their foundation, they help in advocating for racial equality and women’s rights.
In addition, they have helped change the lives of thousands of children.
Jackie has partnered with Comcast to provide cheaper laptops and fast internet access to low-income families in America.
As a result, they have provided internet service to four million Americans.
She has encouraged people from her hometown in East St.Louis to participate in athletics programs.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee: Physical Appearance
Jackie stands five feet and ten inches tall when it comes to height. She weighs around 70 kgs.
Jackie has brown hair with similar brown eyes. She has a dark skin complexion.
Jackie has maintained her fit body despite being in the late fifties.
Her exact body measurements and shoe size are unknown.
<<Billy Mcfarland Net Worth: Fyre Festival & Career>>
Jackie Joyner-Kersee: Social Media
Jackie is quite active on social media platforms.
Her Instagram has more than 21.6K followers. At the same time, her Twitter handle has more than 19.2K followers.
FAQs
What is Jackie Joyner Kersee’s character trait?
Jackie’s character trait is selfless and compassionate.
When did Jackie suffer injury?
Jackie suffered from an injury in her right hamstring in the 1990s.
Where is Jackie Joyner-Kersee today?
Jackie Joyner-Kersee currently resides in St. Louis County, taking care of the kids through her foundation “Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation.”
