A man named Luz...

I was reading a book last night by Stephen Covey called "Everyday Greatness" that I happened to purchase at my local Mardel store on the Bargain Book shelf? Have you been there? I hear it's a wonderful place with very helpful service.

Anyhoo, reading through the book last night and there was a quote by Jesse Owens. You know Jesse Owens, right? (If not, do not pass go and go get a biography/video/wiki article about Jesse Owens. Hint: you'll get Black History, Olympics and World War II history all in one.)

Anyhoo again. *what other word means: back to my story that I sidetracked myself from* Here's the blurb:

1936 Summer Olympics
in Berlin
Hitler is German Chancellor
Hitler is anxious for "Aryan supremacy" to reign at the game

Jesse Owens is a sharecropper's son
Long jumper
Luz Long is the blonde, blue-eyed German long jumper

In front of Hitler, Luz advised Owens on how to jump farther in the prelims

Long story short:
Owens went on to win the gold medal in the long jump with 8.06m while besting Long's own record of 7.87m. Long won the silver medal for second place and was the first to congratulate Owens: they posed together for photos and walked arm-in-arm to the dressing room.


"It took a lot of courage for him to befriend me in front of Hitler... You can melt down all the medals and cups I have and they wouldn't be a plating on the twenty-four karat friendship that I felt for Luz Long at that moment." —Jesse Owens