Ruthie Bolton: Motivational Speaker & Olympian
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Introduction
Ruthie Bolton is one of the most accomplished female athletes in the world. She is a 2-time Olympic gold medalist, a USA Basketball Female of the Year, the Sports Illustrated Best Woman Athlete by home state, and one of only 4 players to be named to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2011.
It may be surprising to learn that Ruthie was told "you can't do it" before every major milestone of her athletic career. In college, she was told that she would not even play, but she remains in the Auburn University record books to this day, and she was the first Lady Tiger to have her number retired. In her 4 years at Auburn, Ruthie led her team to a combined record of 119-13, including three Southeastern Conference championships, four NCAA tournaments, and two NCAA runner-up finishes.
After college, she was not even invited to try out for the U.S. National Team, a team, which she later led to a gold medal in 1996. 2 years later, she was told she would never play basketball again due to a torn A.C.L., yet she re-claimed her spot on the National Team, and brought them to a second gold medal in 2000.
"Mighty Ruthie Bolton" was the original franchise player for the WNBA's Sacramento Monarchs. She has scored over 2000 career points, she is 4th on the WNBA's all-time 3-pointer list, and she is the only player in the history of the Monarchs to have her number retired. She's been on the cover of Sports Illustrated, she's been a guest on Regis Philbin and David Letterman, and, yes, she's even done a Nike commercial.
Ruthie believes that her gifts are to be used for a higher purpose: To inspire others to let their light shine and perform at their best. "If I am only remembered for being a basketball player, I believe that I will have failed in my job on this planet," says Ruthie, who makes a daily practice of encouraging others in her life, and in her message to the world.
Ruthie's off-the-court accomplishments include being a 1st Lieutenant in the Army, the first National Spokeswoman for the WNBA's Play Fit, Stay Fit youth development program, the release of her first Gospel CD single "Making A Way," and being 16th in a very close family of 20 children. She is currently working on her biography, entitled "The Ride of a Lifetime."
Ruthie is a highly sought-after speaker. Some of her favorite messages include:
- Attitude is Everything
- Overcoming Adversity
- How To Exceed Expectations
- Finding the Beauty in the Struggle
- Keep Aiming High
- Family and the Value of Love
- Accountability and Working as a Team
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Reviews
Excellent 4.9
9 reviews
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Rick C.
Nov 11, 2013
One of the highlights of my sports writing career was covering the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. The highlight of those Games was covering McLains Ruthie Bolton, as she led the gold medal-winning U.S. Womens Basketball team to victory after victory. Ruthie Bolton, pound for pound, is the toughest competitor I have seen. Basketball coaches talk about loose balls as 50-50 balls. They werent 50-50 in Atlanta. They were all Ruthies. I am so happy she is part of our Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2014. Heres what I wrote on the day the U.S. won the Gold.
ATLANTA McLains Ruthie Bolton was a woman of her word Sunday. She made three promises. She delivered.
First, she vowed that shed help the U.S. womens basketball team win the Olympic gold medal. She scored 15 points, made five steals, passed out five assists and corralled five rebounds. She was the spark that helped burn Brazil 111-87.
Second, she promised to dedicate the medal to her deceased mother. She tearfully did that while embracing her father after the game.
Third, she promised to give the medal to her older sister and former Auburn teammate, Mae Ola Bolton. She did that, too, going up into the stands after the medal ceremony.
I thought she was just coming up to hug me, Mae Ola Bolton said, the shiny gold medal hanging from her neck. I didnt expect the medal. I dont have the words to describe the feeling.
Mae Ola Bolton cried when asked about a framed picture of her mother that she and her father, the Rev. Linwood Bolton, alternately held up so Ruthie could see it from the medal stand.
You just have to know our family. Theres so much love, she said. We had a wonderful mother, and we dont let her die. We wanted her here with us tonight. She remains daily in our prayers.
Leola Bolton, mother of 20, died in January of 1995 of cancer.
Mae Ola was one of Ruthies 10 siblings at the gold medal game. She estimated that 40 nieces and nephews were also there. Ruthie Bolton gave them all and an international TV audience a show.
I never visualized anything but a gold medal, Ruthie Bolton said. I wasnt going to settle for anything else.
She nailed a shot from four steps beyond the 3-point arc for the Americans first points, and she was a primary reason why the Brazilians couldnt sag their defense down around U.S. center Lisa Leslie, who finished with 29 points.
But it was Boltons defense that hurt the Brazilians most. She defended Brazilian point guard Maria Paula Silva known as Magic Paula to Brazilian fans. Silva was averaging 16.5 points per game beforehand. She was 1 for 8 and scored just seven against the Americans. Her one field goal came when Bolton was taking a breather.
Afterwards, a reporter asked Bolton how she was able to accomplish all that.
What did I do? Bolton said, breaking into a smile. I was in her pants, thats what. I was all over her. If she had gone to the bathroom, I was going with her.
One of Boltons five steals was a clean, mid- court theft from Brazilian superstar Hortencia Oliva. Bolton flicked the ball away from Oliva, went hard to her knees to retrieve it and then shoveled a perfect pass to Sheryl Swoopes for an easy layup.
When Bolton left the game with 8:16 remaining, she exited to a standing ovation from the Georgia Dome crowd of 32,997.
Afterward, U.S. coach Tara VanDerveer called Bolton an incredibly special woman.
I love her dearly, VanDerveer said. Nobody works harder. Shes an inspiration to me every day in practice. To tell you the truth, Im just proud to know her.
In winning the gold, the U.S. women completed nearly a year together. They finished with a 60-0 record and raised interest in U.S. womens basketball to an all-time high.
Stacy R.
Apr 8, 2014
Lydia C.
May 29, 2014
The Lady is a "CHAMP"... I had the opportunity to meet Ruthie in Jackson, MS when she spoke at the National Women in Agriculture Conference. She was so engaging, funny, insightful and encouraging. I left there motivated wanting to continue setting and reaching goals as a young former collegiate athlete! Every young lady, no wait everyone, young, old, rich, poor, male or female should her speak at least once in their lifetime. PS... I loved the story about how her twin brother didn't want to break a nail.... She should be a one woman show on Broadway like Mike Tyson (only a cleaner and more conservative and Christian-based act..... Which I love that she professes her faith in her talks! Best Wishes!
Gayle S.
Oct 6, 2013
Ms Bolton was excellent, her words were encouraging and up lifting, she even sang a beautiful song, but her presentation was distracted by the behavior of her daughter.
Jenny W.
Oct 8, 2013