Spokesperson: Rafer Johnson
Hershey's Track & Field Games... Rafer Johnson made the commitment years ago to be "the best he could be."
Born August 18, 1935 in Hillsboro, Texas, Rafer Lewis Johnson moved to Kingsburg, California at the age of nine. He played football, baseball and basketball in high school. Inspired by double Olympic Champion Bob Mathias, Johnson began competing in decathlons at UCLA in 1954. Decathlon athletes must have the stamina of a distance runner, the strength of a shot putter and the coordination of a pole vaulter. He broke the world record in his fourth competition.
Johnson went on to become a world and Olympic record holder, winning a Silver Medal in Melbourne and a Gold in Rome during the 1960 Games. That same year he was honored as Athlete of the Year by both Sport's Illustrated and the Associated Press.
After the 1960 Games, Johnson stepped away from Olympic competition and dedicated his time and energies to helping others. He founded California Special Olympics in 1969, and is now involved with 28 different youth charities.
"I've just always felt that I owed something back to my state, my community and to young people," said Johnson, member of the National Track and Field and U.S. Olympic Halls of Fame.
The Olympic experience is more than a will to win. It is the quality of competing with honor, courage and character. It is what sets a champion apart. It prepared Rafer to be “the best he could be."