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Who is Jim Thorpe?
Jim Thorpe, a.k.a. Wa-Tho-Huk (meaning Bright Path) was a Native American athlete, actor, and humanitarian who dominated in nearly every sport he played, despite all odds.
@brightpathstrong
Before news broke that the IOC would correct the Olympic record to accurately reflect Jim’s historic wins 110 years...
Jul 22

Before news broke that the IOC would correct the Olympic record to accurately reflect Jim’s historic wins 110 years ago, we made a t-shirt to commemorate his gold medal wins🥇 🥇in those historic Stockholm Games! There is still time to pre-order your shirt to help celebrate this special moment in history!⚡️🙏🏽
Pre-Order here: https://store.brightpathstrong.org/product/110th-anniversary-jim-thorpe-olympic-champion-t-shirt-pre-order/16
We did it... TOGETHER!!! More than 75K of you signed our petition, and the International Olympics Committee listened! So...
Jul 15

We did it... TOGETHER!!! More than 75K of you signed our petition, and the International Olympics Committee listened! So today, on the 110th anniversary of his medal ceremony, Jim Thorpe is finally restored as the rightful and sole gold medal-winner of the 1912 Decathlon and Pentathlon! 🥇🥇
In July of 1912, Jim captivated the world in Stockholm, where King Gustaf V proclaimed him “the World’s Greatest Athlete.” It turned Jim Thorpe, a Sac and Fox & Potawatomi farm boy from Oklahoma into the first celebrity-athlete in history. 🤩
Even though the World’s Greatest Athlete represented the USA 🇺🇸 at the Olympics before Native Americans were even granted U.S. citizenship, not even the mighty Jim Thorpe was protected from racism and jealousy. Six months after the Games, an unfair and obscure application of rules governing amateur play led to one of the biggest sports scandals ever.
Pop Warner, Jim’s own coach from Carlisle, entered Jim’s room when Jim wasn’t home, packed his medals from the 1912 Games and shipped them back to the IOC.
Following the scandal, Jim never complained, and according to his family, it was rarely mentioned. He went on to a long & stellar football career, helping found the @NFL and even played professional baseball & basketball. After retiring from sports in his 40s, he worked an actor in more than 70 movies until he died from heart disease in 1953.
The IOC eventually awarded duplicate medals to Jim’s family 30 years after his death. Despite some records standing unbroken for more than 60 years, the official record has still listed Jim as a “co-champion” – until now! The IOC announced today that Jim will again be listed as the first place winner of his events.
We want to thank our team here at Bright Path Strong, our many tribal partners, authors/historians Bob Wheeler and Flo Ridlon, our non-profit and academic partners, and allies like Olympians Billy Mills (Lakota) and Anita DeFrantz. Last but not least, we especially want to thank our loyal supporters like all of you! Without our amazing #BrightPathStrong community, this glorious day may have never come. ⚡️
Miigwetch!!
https://brightpathstrong.org/justice-for-jim-thorpe/
Happy #FathersDay from #BrightPathStrong! In various interviews over the years, Jim’s children remembered him as kind,...
Jun 19

Happy #FathersDay from #BrightPathStrong! In various interviews over the years, Jim’s children remembered him as kind, generous and above all, honest and humble. In 2015, Jim’s son Bill Thorpe told the Oklahoma Historical Society’s #VoicesOfOklahoma podcast "One of the things Dad kept preaching was ‘If you lie and cheat you’ll steal.' That was one of the things he used to tell us as a kid. Also, he said, 'Be truthful always.’”
What are some words of wisdom your dad imparted upon you?
#BrightPath #BrightPathStrong #JimThorpe #GOAT #WorldsGreatestAthlete #OKHistory #OklahomaHistory #Oklahoma #DadsDay #FathersDay2022 #Dad #family #WordsofWisdom #Potawatomi #SacAndFox #NativeAmerican #NativeAthletes