Help Bring Clean Water to Native Communities

Bright Path Strong sends our best wishes to Olympian Simone Biles and all of #TeamUSA! 🇺🇸 These young athletes face an unimaginable amount of pressure and we applaud Simone for making the best decision for both her physical and emotional health. 💪 Stay #BrightPathStrong Simone! ⚡

#olympics #jimthorpe #GOAT #usaolympics #simonebiles #tokyoolympics #2021olympics #usaolympicteam #tokyo2020 #gymnastics #nativeamerican #NativeAthletes #SelfCare #GOAT2GOAT ...

The Opening Ceremony for the #TokyoOlympics kicked off on the other side of the world today. The Parade of Nations is traditionally a nighttime extravaganza now, featuring lights, lasers and entertainment amid the introductions of more than 200 nations and thousands of athletes from all over the world. But in this rarely seen July 6, 1912 photo, Jim Thorpe and about 2,500 other athletes from 28 countries marched onto the world stage at 11 a.m. Before electricity was prevalent and stadium lighting was standard, Olympic opening ceremonies happened during the daylight hours.

At the V Olympiad, Swedish King Gustav V hosted a crowd of 33,000, along with his son Crown Prince Gustav Adolph and Grand Duke Dimitri of Russia. Jim Thorpe, his roommate Abel Kiviat and the other American athletes dressed alike, in blue blazers, white slacks and white straw hats, marching side-by-side. Jim’s legendary status as “The World’s Greatest Athlete” was set when he won the Pentathlon the next day, then confirmed the following week as the winner of the Decathlon. Years later, Abel said of Jim’s performance in Stockholm, "He knew, and we all knew he was going to do well. We just didn't know how well."

Help us restore Jim's legacy and learn more about why his Olympic wins still aren't fully recognized, then join our fight to right this historic wrong (link in bio) ✍

And from our team at #BrightPathStrong, good luck to all the athletes competing in Tokyo! ⚡

#Olympics #jimthorpe #jimthorpeolympians #decathlon #pentathlon #NativeAmerican #NativeAthletes #Tokyo #OpeningCeremony #OpeningCeremonies #olympicgames #2021olympics #2020Olympics ...

"Sir, you are the greatest athlete in the world!" 👑

King Gustav V of Sweden spoke these words to Jim Thorpe on July 15, 1912, after Jim won his second all-around event – the Decathlon – in the Stockholm Olympic Games, 109 years ago today. Just one week earlier, Jim secured his first gold medal in the Pentathlon, which consisted of five events. But the Decathlon is considered the ultimate test of athletic prowess, and Jim proved himself the greatest of the Games. 🐐

In one of the most famous sports scandals of all time, Jim’s track shoes mysteriously disappeared just before the start of the 1,500-meter race, the final event of the Decathlon. 👟👟In a pair of mismatched shoes, one too small and the other too large, Jim still managed to better his previous time by more than four seconds. He finished the Decathlon in first place, 688 points ahead of the runner-up, out of a possible 10,000 points. It was Jim’s second Gold of the 1912 Games. 🥇🥇

Not only was Jim Thorpe the most outstanding athlete on the world stage, but Jim’s Native American Sac and Fox and Potawatomi heritage captured the public’s attention like no athlete before him. Jim, whose Sac and Fox name “Wa-Tho-Huk” translates to “Bright Path,” ⚡️returned home to a parade and a hero’s welcome. 🎉🎈🎊But the celebration was short-lived. Only six months later, the International Olympic Committee unjustly revoked Jim’s wins and stripped him of his gold medals. This injustice persists to this day, and we work tirelessly to correct his winning records. You can learn more and take action here 👉https://petition.brightpathstrong.org

We chose July 15, 2020, the anniversary of Jim’s Decathlon win, to launch our mission of ensuring Jim’s story lives on. His grit and determination to never give up and never stop moving forward have kept us going strong over the past year. We couldn’t have done it without the support of every single person who has shared our mission via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and most importantly, our petition to help ensure justice for Jim. ✍️

Thank you to every fan, every friend and every ally! We find the energy to keep burning #BrightPathStrong because of you! ...