Mothers: The Making of an Olympic Champion Begins at Home

Have you ever wondered what it is that motivates some to succeed, while others go on to live mediocre lives? Could it be motherly love? In nearly every case, Olympic champions credit their moms for motivating them to achieve something in life.

Olympic freestyle wrestling champ, Henry Cejudo, grew up under the guidance of his single mother, Nelly Rico, who pulled the family together with enormous love and fortitude, after Henry’s father left. Henry was only four-years-old when his parents separated and though poverty-stricken, the family remained close-knit. Today, at 21, his mother is still the most important person in his life. He was overwhelmed with gratitude when, during an appearance on the Tonight Show, Jay Leno brought his mother out from backstage.

Margaret Abbott, America’s first female Olympic champion and the only woman to win at golf, owes it all to her mother, Mary Abbott. When Margaret’s father died in 1879, she was only five-years-old. Mrs. Abbott moved the family from India back to the United States, settling in Chicago. She went to work writing books and also wrote essays and reviews for the Chicago Tribune as well as the Evening Post.

Mary Abbott’s writing career brought in an admirable income, allowing Margaret to associate with the upper class. It was her mother who encouraged her to take up golf in 1897. Under the tutelage of Edward Frost, Margaret became skilled in the powerful drives and accurate putts, which made her a champ.

When Russian gymnastics champion Svetlana Boginskaya was a young girl, she told her mother her dream of becoming an Olympic champion. Encouraging her all the way, her mother enrolled her in gymnastics school and the rest is history. She has proven herself in many Olympic games.