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Ray Ewry: Higher Than the Rest
Born in the U.S. state of Indiana in 1873, Ray Ewry was afflicted in childhood with polio, a disease that forced his confinement to a wheelchair. A sympathetic doctor advised his parents that, with a strict program of exercise, Ewry might one day regain the use of his legs. Ewry did far better than that. Devoted to hours-long workouts, he earned 15 national championships in track-and-field events between 1898 and 1910. His specialty was the standing events—the standing long jump, high jump, and triple jump. Ewry was awarded an athletic scholarship to attend Purdue University, where he competed in both ...(100 of 312 words)