If Lolo Jones isn’t currently a household name, it likely will be very soon. The 29 year-old Olympic hurdler’s combination of athletic ability, engaging personality, and good looks have made her a favorite of both track fans and the national media. After an unfortunate trip cost her a chance to medal in the 2008 games, Jones is among the favorites to bring home a gold medal from the Olympic Games in London this summer.
Now, as the Olympic games approach, there is a renewed interest in Lolo Jones. Last night (5/21), ESPN broadcast a documentary film about Jones’ background and her quest for Olympic gold. (See here for future airings of this program.) Tonight (5/22), HBO will show an interview with Jones, where she discusses the sacrifices made in order to be an elite athlete, including her personal life. (Among the revelations: Jones is a virgin, and plans to remain so until her wedding night. “A gift I want to give my husband,” she says.)
The ESPN documentary, in particular, focuses on Jones’ tough upbringing. Homeless much of her childhood, Jones and her family lived in a variety of locations, including the basement of a Salvation Army in Des Moines, Iowa. Her father was absent during this time, spending much of the time in prison.
Jones describes herself as a “professional shoplifter” during this time – although the items she stole were not the standard items stolen by other teenagers. “I was shoplifting frozen dinners at a grocery store,” Jones says. “I could shoplift four frozen dinners, easily.”
Without a steady place to call home, Jones and her siblings bounced from school to school. When her mother announced plans to move again as Lolo prepared to enter high school, she refused. For the next four years, Jones lived with four different families in the community, allowing her to develop as a student, an athlete, and a person.
The development continued as she attended Lousiana State University in Baton Rouge. While blossoming as an elite runner, Jones says she spent much of her time off the track in church, evaluating her life. Today, Jones refers to herself as a “very strong Christian.”
Jones was fortunate to have others in her community who were able to support and encourage her to pursue her dreams as a runner. Other kids with a parent behind bars aren’t so fortunate. Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree program helps to encourage such children, reconnecting them to their parents behind bars, and providing them with year-round opportunities to grow and develop. To learn more about Angel Tree and how you might be able to get involved, click here.