Jan. 16, 2025

The Origin of Weird: Elizabeth "Betty" Robinson

The Origin of Weird: Elizabeth

What if a plane crash had the power to not only shatter dreams but also serve as the springboard for an awe-inspiring comeback? Strap in as we sip on a tart strawberry rhubarb hard cider from Illinois' own Obscurity Cider, generously shared by our friend Tara, and journey through the extraordinary life of Elizabeth "Betty" Robinson. We kick things off with a playful chat about Kate's cats, Penny and Oliver, before diving into Betty's groundbreaking achievements on and off the track. From being discovered by her high school science teacher to setting Olympic records, Betty’s story challenges societal norms and showcases her unyielding spirit. Despite a catastrophic plane crash in 1931 that nearly took her life, Betty's journey from recovery to the 1936 Berlin Olympics is nothing short of miraculous.

Join us as we recount Betty's life, which is interwoven with iconic figures like Jesse Owens, and celebrate her as a beacon of resilience. Her triumphant return to the Olympic track, defying all odds and expert predictions, leaves us in awe of her indomitable courage. Before we wrap up, we invite you to engage with us—send your questions and historical theories our way through Reddit, X, Instagram, Facebook, or email at historybuffoonspodcast@gmail.com. Stay curious and connected by following us on your favorite podcast platform and turning on notifications so you never miss an episode. Don't forget to rate and review us to spread the word about History Buffoons Podcast!

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Chapters

00:14 - Origins of Weird

14:41 - Betty Robinson's Inspirational Olympic Journey

25:24 - Stay Curious With History Buffoons Podcast

Transcript
WEBVTT

00:00:14.070 --> 00:00:23.295
oh, hey there oh, hey, there, wow, oh, my word this is the origin of weird.

00:00:23.576 --> 00:00:26.217
Hello, I am Kate and I am Bradley.

00:00:26.217 --> 00:00:27.664
And all my cats are out.

00:00:27.664 --> 00:00:28.809
Hi, kitty cats.

00:00:29.100 --> 00:00:30.143
Yep, there's Oliver.

00:00:31.248 --> 00:00:31.870
Was that Oliver?

00:00:32.479 --> 00:00:36.951
Was he the one just meowing, or was it Frankie who's trying to get into the podcast bag?

00:00:36.951 --> 00:00:45.868
So normally we record this in addition to History of a Foon.

00:00:45.868 --> 00:00:49.173
So we don't normally have a beverage on this, but today we do.

00:00:49.493 --> 00:00:50.395
Yeah, we do yeah.

00:00:51.220 --> 00:00:52.585
We got this from a friend of ours.

00:00:52.585 --> 00:00:57.470
We did yeah, it's a strawberry rhubarb hard cider from Obscurity Cider.

00:00:57.920 --> 00:01:00.548
Yeah, it's from Elburn.

00:01:00.950 --> 00:01:01.350
Illinois.

00:01:03.542 --> 00:01:04.224
It is from Tara.

00:01:04.224 --> 00:01:04.924
Thank you for the suggestion, tara.

00:01:04.924 --> 00:01:05.751
Yes, thank you, illinois, it is from Tara.

00:01:05.751 --> 00:01:06.436
Thank you for the suggestion Tara.

00:01:06.456 --> 00:01:06.840
Yes, thank you, tara.

00:01:07.921 --> 00:01:11.870
She brought it over for a Christmas celebration and we never had it.

00:01:12.340 --> 00:01:14.582
No, but I look forward to having it now.

00:01:14.823 --> 00:01:19.230
Okay, cheers Tart.

00:01:19.510 --> 00:01:22.435
Ooh, that is tart, Not bad though.

00:01:22.754 --> 00:01:24.325
Yeah, do you like strawberry rhubarb?

00:01:24.719 --> 00:01:31.605
I do my mom, I think my grandma used to always make a rhubarb pie when I was little.

00:01:31.605 --> 00:01:37.932
Yeah, it wasn't a strawberry rhubarb, it was rhubarb yeah, it's like here's this weed.

00:01:37.932 --> 00:01:43.606
Make something out of it, because that's what rhubarb looks like but it's a pretty weed.

00:01:43.606 --> 00:01:44.890
It's got red in it.

00:01:44.890 --> 00:01:48.563
You've got red on you.

00:01:48.563 --> 00:01:52.748
If you saw Shaun of the Dead, you'd understand, and I know you have.

00:01:52.948 --> 00:01:54.331
I have, but I don't remember that line.

00:01:54.430 --> 00:01:54.772
It's all right.

00:01:54.772 --> 00:01:56.734
Throughout the whole movie you have red on you.

00:01:56.734 --> 00:02:00.939
It's in reference to the blood of the movie.

00:02:00.939 --> 00:02:11.760
Anywho Origin weird, let's go, yes.

00:02:11.760 --> 00:02:13.424
So anywho origin weird let's go.

00:02:13.443 --> 00:02:15.707
Yes, so I have um an olympian, oh yeah, a weird olympian.

00:02:15.707 --> 00:02:18.593
It's more of an, that's amazing olympian sure and like again olympians are amazing.

00:02:18.633 --> 00:02:20.344
Well you're not wrong.

00:02:20.344 --> 00:02:21.388
I can't do any of that.

00:02:21.388 --> 00:02:22.009
You kidding me?

00:02:22.009 --> 00:02:24.739
No, I can barely think about it, let alone do it.

00:02:24.739 --> 00:02:32.412
I've seen you run I feel like we're at a standstill, like we just lost our will to live.

00:02:32.412 --> 00:02:35.356
No, um, no, yeah.

00:02:35.356 --> 00:02:37.324
So here on origin of weird.

00:02:37.324 --> 00:02:50.228
I mean, obviously we're in search for everything weird, but to me olympians are weird because they're like just ridiculous specimens of human that can do these certain things, and I can't even come close.

00:02:50.419 --> 00:02:53.188
And this person runs and no one is chasing her.

00:02:54.121 --> 00:02:54.943
Why would she do that?

00:02:55.485 --> 00:02:59.266
Exactly, penny keeps rubbing up against my microphone stand.

00:02:59.467 --> 00:03:03.805
I know it's kind of annoying Penny, penny wise.

00:03:05.461 --> 00:03:07.127
Penny, Penny, Penny, Penny, Benny, Benny, Benny.

00:03:07.127 --> 00:03:13.372
Okay, so this is on Elizabeth Betty Robinson.

00:03:14.320 --> 00:03:15.866
Elizabeth Betty Robinson.

00:03:15.919 --> 00:03:18.368
Did you know that Betty is a nickname for Elizabeth?

00:03:19.860 --> 00:03:21.425
I didn't actually know that, no.

00:03:21.545 --> 00:03:23.330
Yes, so Benny.

00:03:23.330 --> 00:03:26.086
Yeah, she was born Penny.

00:03:26.086 --> 00:03:37.712
You gotta stop me come on, penny, jesus, bye, miss okay, so she was born august 23rd 1911 in riverdale, illinois.

00:03:38.133 --> 00:03:45.024
Oh, well, fancy that we're drinking a beverage from illinois I and we're talking about a particular person from Illinois.

00:03:45.283 --> 00:03:48.306
So she was leaving school.

00:03:48.306 --> 00:03:55.233
She went to school at Thornton Township High School, okay, and she was trying to catch the school train.

00:03:55.954 --> 00:03:57.034
Where is she from again?

00:03:57.194 --> 00:03:57.675
Riverdale.

00:03:57.955 --> 00:03:59.637
Where in Illinois is that?

00:03:59.637 --> 00:04:03.189
Do you know Somewhere?

00:04:03.210 --> 00:04:03.491
in the state.

00:04:05.140 --> 00:04:11.110
So she was trying to catch a train, jesus.

00:04:11.110 --> 00:04:14.034
So all right, painting a picture trying to catch a train.

00:04:14.034 --> 00:04:15.870
Go, she's trying to catch a train.

00:04:15.870 --> 00:04:17.399
Yeah, and somewhere in illinois.

00:04:17.399 --> 00:04:23.848
Oh, that got penny away there you go okay.

00:04:23.988 --> 00:04:31.564
So um riverdale is like a, a southern suburb of chicago.

00:04:32.064 --> 00:04:35.050
Oh, penny jesus, now she's going after yours.

00:04:35.071 --> 00:04:44.170
Yeah, and she pushed down and it almost fell over oh, penny, penny, there's gonna be a lot of edits because you're in this.

00:04:44.911 --> 00:04:47.495
Good thing this is an origin, not a buffoons.

00:04:47.495 --> 00:04:50.266
A little less editing in those at least.

00:04:50.988 --> 00:04:54.708
Okay, she was trying to catch a school train.

00:04:54.708 --> 00:04:58.949
Yeah, okay, she was actually spotted by her science teacher.

00:04:58.949 --> 00:05:01.327
Wait, school train, a train.

00:05:02.060 --> 00:05:03.125
You said a school train.

00:05:03.285 --> 00:05:05.557
A train she was running to catch the train.

00:05:05.557 --> 00:05:05.908
You said a school.

00:05:05.908 --> 00:05:06.235
Train a train.

00:05:06.235 --> 00:05:06.754
You said a school train a train.

00:05:06.697 --> 00:05:06.952
She was running to catch the train.

00:05:06.894 --> 00:05:24.850
You said a school train a school train they had trains for school apparently in riverdale illinois okay she's running and running and running, trying to catch this train yeah and her science teacher sees her she's like that chicken run exactly wow, except so he was a former athlete himself.

00:05:24.850 --> 00:05:25.853
His name is Charles Price.

00:05:26.293 --> 00:05:26.494
Okay.

00:05:26.639 --> 00:05:31.072
And he was the coach of the school's track team, coincidentally.

00:05:31.199 --> 00:05:32.185
Weird how that worked.

00:05:32.880 --> 00:05:44.391
So he recognized her impressive speed and, even though she nearly missed the train, they ended up seated next to each other and he's all like, hey, come join my team.

00:05:44.391 --> 00:05:46.144
No women allowed.

00:05:47.307 --> 00:05:53.615
Oh, oh, I suppose it was during that time, that's unfortunate, join the boys team she dress up like a boy.

00:05:53.815 --> 00:06:02.226
No, okay she did have her hair cut really short, but I think that was just who she was well either way, so after only After only four months of training.

00:06:02.226 --> 00:06:18.411
On March 30th 1928, at the age of 16, she finished second to Helen Filkey in the 60-yard dash, and Filkey was the US record holder at 100 meters.

00:06:18.411 --> 00:06:20.785
Wow, so she finished second to her.

00:06:20.906 --> 00:06:21.749
That's pretty impressive.

00:06:22.341 --> 00:06:23.706
After only four months of training.

00:06:23.747 --> 00:06:25.483
Yeah, I mean that's not much time at all.

00:06:25.483 --> 00:06:26.384
Yeah, wow, wow.

00:06:26.384 --> 00:06:33.841
I need like 40 years to get close to that, I know at her next race, shaking his head at me.

00:06:35.242 --> 00:06:48.956
At her next race, on june 2nd, at 100 meters, she beat filkey what and equaled the world record, though her time was not recognized because it was deemed wind-aided.

00:06:48.956 --> 00:06:50.336
Oh, come on, I know.

00:06:50.620 --> 00:06:51.903
She had the jet stream in her favor.

00:06:51.963 --> 00:06:53.247
I mean what the fuck yeah?

00:06:53.588 --> 00:06:54.091
That's lame.

00:06:54.639 --> 00:06:59.632
But she qualified for the Amsterdam 1928 Olympic Games.

00:07:00.079 --> 00:07:02.146
Oh, is that where they were held that year, amsterdam?

00:07:02.146 --> 00:07:03.370
Yes, okay, yes, nice.

00:07:05.060 --> 00:07:05.341
So fun fact.

00:07:05.341 --> 00:07:14.026
Yeah, the Olympics these Olympics 1928, were the first time that track and field and gymnastics for women were added.

00:07:14.026 --> 00:07:17.990
Oh really, women were a part of other things like archery and cricket and stuff.

00:07:18.129 --> 00:07:18.350
Right.

00:07:18.800 --> 00:07:22.300
But this was the first year that track and field and gymnastics were added.

00:07:22.600 --> 00:07:23.725
So 28 is the first year.

00:07:30.639 --> 00:07:32.084
Wow that track and field and gymnastics were added.

00:07:32.084 --> 00:07:33.146
So 28th the first year.

00:07:33.206 --> 00:07:33.827
Wow, I didn't realize that.

00:07:33.827 --> 00:07:35.050
Yeah, so of course there was huge backlash, sure, of course.

00:07:35.050 --> 00:07:36.896
Uh, people like pierre de coubertin and the vatican were against it.

00:07:36.915 --> 00:07:37.737
The vatican was against, oh good lord.

00:07:37.737 --> 00:07:40.242
So women athletes, they weren't going to have it right.

00:07:40.242 --> 00:07:50.740
They'd already been already been started in their own organizations and they already had competitions in place in 1922 and 1926.

00:07:50.740 --> 00:07:54.129
Sure, and they eventually showed what they were capable of.

00:07:54.129 --> 00:07:54.831
Well, there you go.

00:07:54.831 --> 00:08:04.336
And the IAAF, the International Association of Athletics Federation, said that women deserved a spot in the Olympics.

00:08:04.658 --> 00:08:05.319
Well, why not?

00:08:05.379 --> 00:08:05.860
Damn straight.

00:08:05.860 --> 00:08:18.637
So that Pierre guy Pierre de Coubertin, he was the founding member of the International Olympic Committee and he served as president up until 1925.

00:08:18.637 --> 00:08:23.031
Okay, so he was kind of up there as far as the Olympics, no doubt yeah.

00:08:23.031 --> 00:08:28.170
And Oliver's in a bag bag that's not a metaphor.

00:08:28.170 --> 00:08:34.880
He's literally in a bag you're gonna be taking home a bunch of cat hair I do every time I bring the podcast bag into your house.

00:08:34.961 --> 00:08:54.264
That's right so women were only allowed to compete in the 100 meter meter, 800 meter, discus, high jump and four mil 100 millimeter, millimeter, it's a really quick race the 100 meter relay race.

00:08:54.264 --> 00:08:58.431
No shot put, no damn, so another fun fact.

00:08:58.431 --> 00:09:04.123
Okay to tell the 1928 olympics also featured the debut of the Olympic flame.

00:09:05.083 --> 00:09:06.784
Really, that's the first year it had the flame.

00:09:06.784 --> 00:09:07.985
Yeah, I didn't realize that either.

00:09:07.985 --> 00:09:08.907
That's crazy yeah.

00:09:09.727 --> 00:09:15.273
So Betty was the only US athlete to qualify for the 100-meter final.

00:09:15.513 --> 00:09:15.854
Okay.

00:09:16.134 --> 00:09:19.076
And before the race she realized she brought two left shoes.

00:09:19.076 --> 00:09:25.345
Oh, I think my stomach would just drop.

00:09:25.445 --> 00:09:28.226
Well, yeah, because you're like what do I do here?

00:09:28.226 --> 00:09:31.289
It's not like you can all of a sudden change one into a right shoe.

00:09:31.450 --> 00:09:34.832
Well, she waited for a team member to go get her a right shoe.

00:09:35.253 --> 00:09:36.653
Oh, really yeah Wow.

00:09:36.914 --> 00:09:39.537
They came back and she put it on right before her next race.

00:09:42.700 --> 00:09:47.530
Vesper likes to put her shoes on herself sometimes, and she almost always puts them on the wrong feet and she argues that they're on the right feet.

00:09:47.791 --> 00:09:48.753
Oh poor, dear yeah.

00:09:48.753 --> 00:09:57.331
So that day in 1928, she was racing against other women who knew they were making history.

00:09:57.753 --> 00:09:59.115
Well, yeah, first time.

00:09:59.294 --> 00:10:00.585
Yeah, the pressure was big.

00:10:00.779 --> 00:10:02.384
Well, it's insurmountable.

00:10:02.706 --> 00:10:03.389
So guess what?

00:10:03.389 --> 00:10:03.710
What?

00:10:03.710 --> 00:10:05.004
100-meter dash right, yeah, was big.

00:10:05.004 --> 00:10:05.607
Well, it's insurmountable.

00:10:05.607 --> 00:10:05.970
So guess what?

00:10:05.970 --> 00:10:07.355
100 meter dash right yeah.

00:10:07.355 --> 00:10:08.259
Two women false started.

00:10:08.660 --> 00:10:17.870
Oh shit, from the couch position okay, sound like you said from the couch position and they didn't even have like starting blocks back then oh, they didn't.

00:10:17.870 --> 00:10:28.054
They just what, just line up, I guess, yeah, okay so canada, canada's myrtle cook myrtle my Myrtle Cook and Germany's Lenny Schmidt were out.

00:10:28.054 --> 00:10:32.551
Those are the two that false started Mm-hmm Cook was heartbroken, Like she was crying.

00:10:32.551 --> 00:10:32.892
Well, sure.

00:10:33.400 --> 00:10:36.440
And Schmidt was furious and even swore revenge on the starter.

00:10:36.440 --> 00:10:40.005
She's like bomb I'm gonna get you?

00:10:40.025 --> 00:10:41.269
was that the one from germany?

00:10:41.350 --> 00:11:10.635
yeah, oh, oh, dear so the remaining, remaining runners lined back up on the track, okay, and betty was right next to her biggest rival oh dear helen rosenfeld, which is exactly where she wanted to be, that's the one she raced a couple times right no, oh no, that was a different helen oh so many helens, only two helen rosenfeld was um.

00:11:11.618 --> 00:11:18.448
I think she was canadian or german how many germans and canadians are in this?

00:11:18.448 --> 00:11:19.873
Because wasn't that the two that fall started?

00:11:20.260 --> 00:11:23.326
yes, but there can be several I get that Betty was just the only.

00:11:23.687 --> 00:11:24.149
American.

00:11:24.149 --> 00:11:25.451
I understand, okay, okay.

00:11:26.379 --> 00:11:29.811
She wanted to keep an eye on her competition and Helen Rosenfeld was competition.

00:11:29.919 --> 00:11:31.225
Yeah, and she was right next to her.

00:11:31.419 --> 00:11:36.270
So at the gun Germany's Erna Steinberg exploded.

00:11:36.792 --> 00:11:37.352
She blew up.

00:11:37.352 --> 00:11:41.505
That's unfortunate.

00:11:41.505 --> 00:11:46.860
I didn't know.

00:11:46.860 --> 00:11:47.522
They used like incendiary bombs.

00:11:47.542 --> 00:11:48.003
Stop on the person.

00:11:48.003 --> 00:11:50.086
Betty was right behind her.

00:11:50.086 --> 00:11:57.261
Rosenfeld had a slow start okay okay, but she caught up to betty halfway through shit.

00:11:57.261 --> 00:12:00.128
They sprinted to the finish line neck and neck.

00:12:00.128 --> 00:12:09.849
Both betty and um helen rosenfeld both like briefly raised their hands in are in victory, thinking like they won.

00:12:09.849 --> 00:12:14.105
They both did at the same time did the other one win no betty won.

00:12:14.225 --> 00:12:23.408
Oh, she did actually, yes rosenfeld could be seen in the in the footage glancing anxiously at betty, but she just smiles confidently and she was having the time of her life.

00:12:23.408 --> 00:12:24.692
Miss betty was sure.

00:12:24.692 --> 00:12:31.966
So betty won the first ever women's 100 meter gold medal in 12.2 seconds.

00:12:32.106 --> 00:12:33.730
God damn that's a world record.

00:12:33.971 --> 00:12:38.423
That's insane yeah, she had only been seriously running for five months.

00:12:38.423 --> 00:12:40.208
That's crazy, yeah that is.

00:12:40.249 --> 00:12:48.328
That is weird, because to be that good I mean clearly she had natural talent, but to be that good and win world record.

00:12:48.549 --> 00:12:49.672
She was only 16.

00:12:49.672 --> 00:12:50.801
Holy shit, that's right.

00:12:50.801 --> 00:12:57.542
She's still the youngest person ever to do it is she really yeah, wow, that's impressive okay, so rosenfeld.

00:12:57.542 --> 00:12:59.604
Helen rosenfeld was canad, canadians.

00:13:01.264 --> 00:13:02.446
Canadians she was plural.

00:13:03.767 --> 00:13:06.889
And the Canadians thought that she actually won Of course they did.

00:13:06.889 --> 00:13:11.553
And lodged a complaint, but the judges were like nah.

00:13:11.794 --> 00:13:13.076
Were the Canadians like?

00:13:13.076 --> 00:13:13.856
What's it all about?

00:13:15.621 --> 00:13:19.768
Exactly, and the.

00:13:20.413 --> 00:13:21.299
US judges are like nah.

00:13:22.601 --> 00:13:23.383
Now we're good.

00:13:23.383 --> 00:13:40.130
Six decades later, Robinson Betty was interviewed for a book called Tales of Glory, an oral history of the Summer Olympic Games Told by America's gold medal winners, by Lewis H Carlson and John J Fogarty.

00:13:40.130 --> 00:13:42.195
Longest title ever, no kidding.

00:13:42.340 --> 00:13:47.086
And this is how she remembered the race that's not like the same john fogarty from the ccr, is it?

00:13:48.067 --> 00:13:51.056
that is um one in the same is it really?

00:13:51.235 --> 00:13:55.650
no, okay, I knew you were joking she said quote.

00:13:56.232 --> 00:13:59.221
I can remember breaking the tape but I wasn't sure that I'd won.

00:13:59.221 --> 00:14:00.585
It was so close.

00:14:00.585 --> 00:14:05.567
But my friends in the stands jumped over the railing and came down and put their arms around me and then I knew I'd won.

00:14:05.567 --> 00:14:09.046
Then, when they raised the flag, I cried.

00:14:10.188 --> 00:14:10.469
Yeah.

00:14:11.009 --> 00:14:12.232
Yeah, as you do.

00:14:12.720 --> 00:14:14.928
I mean, who doesn't cry when the flag's raised?

00:14:14.928 --> 00:14:16.205
I do every time.

00:14:17.260 --> 00:14:21.831
She went on to win silver in the women's relay race.

00:14:22.280 --> 00:14:23.443
Is this at the same olympics?

00:14:23.443 --> 00:14:23.946
Okay?

00:14:24.407 --> 00:14:33.163
with the us team finishing second to the canadian team okay one of the disqualified canadians, myrtle cook from the original.

00:14:33.163 --> 00:14:34.948
Yeah from the 100 meters um.

00:14:34.948 --> 00:14:40.705
She made sure she was gonna win that one so well she didn't want to fuck up again she sure did.

00:14:40.804 --> 00:14:41.125
Okay, so when?

00:14:41.125 --> 00:14:45.933
So when Betty and the team's ship pulled into New York, they were pretty much mobbed.

00:14:45.933 --> 00:14:52.559
There was a parade, speeches that went on forever, lunches, and they even met Babe Ruth oh nice.

00:14:52.559 --> 00:14:55.289
And during all of this Betty turned 17.

00:14:55.289 --> 00:14:59.447
Well, huzzah, they went back to Chicago.

00:14:59.447 --> 00:15:03.769
The whole thing started over again More crowds, more parades, more speeches.

00:15:03.769 --> 00:15:06.086
And then they made it to Riverdale.

00:15:06.086 --> 00:15:06.750
And guess what?

00:15:06.750 --> 00:15:08.953
Another parade.

00:15:09.441 --> 00:15:09.822
Did they have?

00:15:09.861 --> 00:15:11.368
enough people in Riverdale to have a parade.

00:15:11.368 --> 00:15:13.346
20,000 people showed up.

00:15:13.346 --> 00:15:20.408
Oh wow yeah, Everyone chipped in and bought her a diamond watch and her high school gave her a silver cup.

00:15:20.408 --> 00:15:24.451
And that is literally all I have on that subject Silver cup.

00:15:25.421 --> 00:15:26.927
Did they at least inscribe her name on it?

00:15:26.927 --> 00:15:27.589
I have no idea.

00:15:27.589 --> 00:15:29.284
Could you drink from it?

00:15:29.519 --> 00:15:41.952
That was not part of my research, okay, so after she crushed it at the Olympics, betty was super excited for the next games, which were happening in LA in 1932.

00:15:41.952 --> 00:15:42.735
Right, yeah.

00:15:42.735 --> 00:15:45.139
La Coliseum.

00:15:45.139 --> 00:15:55.172
Yeah, so she went to northwestern university to study physical education because after the 1932 olympics she wanted to become a coach at the olympics in 1936.

00:15:55.172 --> 00:15:55.533
Sure.

00:15:55.533 --> 00:16:03.230
So lots of like plating ahead right natural progression, yeah, so by 1931 she was basically unbeatable.

00:16:03.291 --> 00:16:06.484
She was still holding world records and yada, yada, yada.

00:16:06.484 --> 00:16:11.581
But then, during all this training, she decided to take a break why would she do that?

00:16:12.163 --> 00:16:13.168
because she was tired.

00:16:13.168 --> 00:16:14.533
Well, I mean, she runs a lot.

00:16:15.616 --> 00:16:30.953
I get tired just walking she was forbidden from swimming because her coaches thought that the activity used completely different muscles and therefore could like mess up her mess up her, her stamina, I don't know, come on.

00:16:30.953 --> 00:16:43.755
So instead of swimming, she decided to go the opposite direction and she got into a plane okay with her cousin who was supposedly a pilot.

00:16:43.755 --> 00:16:51.440
Although that's not confirmed, he did own the plane or partially on the plane whether or not he was a pilot was another story.

00:16:51.559 --> 00:16:52.142
We don't know.

00:16:52.142 --> 00:16:53.145
We don't know.

00:16:53.145 --> 00:17:18.523
Right after a safe takeoff, the plane started having engine trouble oh dear the nose of the plane dropped and then it crashed into a marshy field okay everyone thought betty and her cousin were gone right, I mean that's understandable she was discovered unconscious in the wreckage, wrongly thought dead by her rescuer and merely thought like she was beyond saving so did this bury her then?

00:17:18.523 --> 00:17:22.611
Not too far off dear.

00:17:22.611 --> 00:17:24.314
They put her in the trunk of his car.

00:17:24.881 --> 00:17:25.965
Oh, because that's what you do.

00:17:26.359 --> 00:17:27.404
Well, he thought she was dead.

00:17:27.404 --> 00:17:32.751
I mean bodies, and this is like 1930-ish.

00:17:32.832 --> 00:17:33.473
Yeah 31.

00:17:33.534 --> 00:17:46.390
Yeah, so he thought she was dead, but the rescuer took her to Oak Forest Infirmary Locally it's known as the Poor Farm Okay, but he knew the undertaker there so he brought her straight there.

00:17:46.701 --> 00:17:48.105
So he was pretty convinced she was dead.

00:17:48.105 --> 00:17:48.929
Yes, yes, wow.

00:17:49.220 --> 00:17:52.603
But luckily they realized once she arrived that nope, she's alive.

00:17:52.603 --> 00:17:53.104
Nope.

00:17:53.124 --> 00:17:54.163
What threw it?

00:17:54.163 --> 00:17:54.625
Gave it away.

00:17:54.625 --> 00:17:56.286
She was breathing, probably Okay.

00:17:56.306 --> 00:17:57.647
Yeah, she had a pulse.

00:17:57.647 --> 00:17:58.347
I mean what?

00:17:58.367 --> 00:17:59.749
the fuck Wow.

00:18:00.029 --> 00:18:03.772
So both her and her cousin survived, although they were seriously hurt.

00:18:03.972 --> 00:18:05.193
That's impressive that they did.

00:18:05.334 --> 00:18:08.676
Yeah, betty's left leg and left arm were fractured.

00:18:08.676 --> 00:18:14.050
Oh, her face and forehead were badly lacerated and she had skull fractures.

00:18:14.050 --> 00:18:17.469
Sure, she was in a coma that lasted some time.

00:18:17.469 --> 00:18:30.592
Eleven weeks later she left the hospital with metal pins in her joints and one leg just a bit shorter than the other, yeah, so I'm guessing that didn't bode well for her running career yeah, so the doctors told betty that she'd never be able to race again.

00:18:31.181 --> 00:18:54.746
Well, I mean not competitively, yeah, so she was stuck in a wheelchair for about six months, oh dear, and she had to go through two years of rehab just to walk normally again so she clearly missed the 32 olympics she did yeah so in the same book that I had mentioned before, um, she said, quote the doctor said if I hadn't been in such good condition I wouldn't have come out of it as well as I did I can imagine.

00:18:54.885 --> 00:19:00.085
Yeah, that's for sure so as for her cousin, he was taken directly to the hospital instead of.

00:19:00.085 --> 00:19:02.811
The infirmary the undertaker.

00:19:02.811 --> 00:19:05.768
But years later his damaged left leg was amputated.

00:19:05.768 --> 00:19:13.472
Aw yeah, so Betty had to miss the 1932 Olympics because of her injuries, but she's like that ain't gonna stop me.

00:19:13.712 --> 00:19:14.034
Okay.

00:19:15.406 --> 00:19:17.000
So she was gonna prove everybody wrong.

00:19:17.000 --> 00:19:19.902
She started running, and not just for exercise.

00:19:19.902 --> 00:19:21.423
She wanted to get back to the Olympics.

00:19:21.423 --> 00:19:23.086
Sure Things were tough, though.

00:19:23.507 --> 00:19:24.127
Well, yeah.

00:19:25.088 --> 00:19:28.694
Because of the fractures and surgeries on her left leg, she couldn't kneel.

00:19:28.694 --> 00:19:32.362
Oh really so she couldn't get into that starting stance.

00:19:32.382 --> 00:19:33.383
Oh dear yeah, I suppose.

00:19:33.522 --> 00:19:41.930
Yeah, so she knew her only chance to compete at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin was to make the relay team.

00:19:42.269 --> 00:19:42.589
Okay.

00:19:42.830 --> 00:19:49.596
Only the first runner of the relay team had to be in that crouching position at the start, so she needed to be second, or how many?

00:19:49.596 --> 00:19:51.356
Second third there's four.

00:19:51.356 --> 00:19:53.804
Okay, so she did just that.

00:19:54.164 --> 00:19:54.526
Oh good.

00:19:55.027 --> 00:19:55.849
She made the team.

00:19:56.049 --> 00:19:56.330
Nice.

00:19:56.330 --> 00:20:09.244
So the 1936 Games already went down in history because that was when jesse owens won four gold medals in front of hitler, and didn't a lot of people are not a lot of people like some countries didn't they boycott that one too?

00:20:09.244 --> 00:20:14.262
Because I believe so, if I remember right because of everything going on in germany and everything.

00:20:14.282 --> 00:20:23.635
So so betty teamed up with Harriet Bland, annette Rogers and Helen Stevens for the 100-meter relay final.

00:20:23.635 --> 00:20:26.086
She ran the third leg.

00:20:26.406 --> 00:20:26.748
Okay.

00:20:26.868 --> 00:20:30.891
Okay, and she handed her baton over to Helen Stevens, who was the fourth.

00:20:31.221 --> 00:20:33.011
Is that the one she originally raced in the?

00:20:33.011 --> 00:20:35.806
28th no, Surprisingly this is the third.

00:20:35.806 --> 00:20:39.349
Helen Holy, helen Batman, jesus Christ, there's so many.

00:20:39.349 --> 00:20:43.564
Helens, there's three helens, when does helen of troy show up, jesus?

00:20:43.564 --> 00:20:48.652
Oh, okay so that's just a lot of helens.

00:20:49.353 --> 00:20:55.574
I mean, I'm common name, I get it um, so she handed her baton over to helen stevens.

00:20:55.574 --> 00:21:00.788
Okay, the german team was the favorite because they set a recent world record.

00:21:01.088 --> 00:21:01.450
Oh really.

00:21:01.589 --> 00:21:08.573
Yeah, in the relay, but during the final they dropped the baton on their last exchange Suckers.

00:21:08.573 --> 00:21:12.510
So the handoff went well with that last person.

00:21:12.510 --> 00:21:16.550
But then she moved from her left hand to her right hand.

00:21:16.941 --> 00:21:19.567
And dropped it there, or vice versa.

00:21:19.586 --> 00:21:22.178
And she dropped it there.

00:21:22.178 --> 00:21:24.162
Oh, bummer yeah, to her right hand and vice versa.

00:21:24.162 --> 00:21:24.903
And she dropped it there, bummer yeah.

00:21:24.903 --> 00:21:35.146
So helen steven sealed the usa victory, earning betty her second olympic gold medal that's crazy and betty went on to say quote I wish they quote the german women hadn't dropped the baton.

00:21:35.146 --> 00:21:37.911
Helen was the faster, we would have won anyway.

00:21:37.911 --> 00:21:40.875
Well, you know, I thought that was clever, though.

00:21:41.460 --> 00:21:42.886
I mean, it's something.

00:21:43.299 --> 00:21:50.198
So after the 1936 Olympics, betty hung up her running shoes but she never really left the sport.

00:21:50.198 --> 00:22:00.945
Okay, she became an AAU timekeeper and loved giving talks to the Women's Athletic Association and the Girls Athletics Association, encouraging more girls to run Athletic Association and the Girls Athletics Association encouraging more girls to run.

00:22:00.945 --> 00:22:06.088
She got married, had two kids and settled down in Glencoe, which is another suburb of Chicago.

00:22:06.269 --> 00:22:06.588
Okay.

00:22:07.250 --> 00:22:10.291
And for many years she worked at a local hardware store.

00:22:10.291 --> 00:22:19.477
Oh, there you go, so in 1977, when Robinson was inducted into the USA National Track and Field Hall of Fame.

00:22:19.777 --> 00:22:20.097
Oh nice.

00:22:20.317 --> 00:22:23.608
She said, quote I suppose most Americans don't even recognize me.

00:22:23.608 --> 00:22:25.125
It happened so long ago.

00:22:25.125 --> 00:22:28.809
I still can't believe the attention I get for something I did so long ago.

00:22:28.809 --> 00:22:32.871
She has yet to be indicted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.

00:22:34.080 --> 00:22:40.409
I mean when she got there, I mean it's already 49 years later, or wait, yeah, 49 years later.

00:22:40.409 --> 00:22:43.208
So yeah, most people wouldn't know who the fuck she is.

00:22:43.208 --> 00:22:44.632
That's crazy.

00:22:45.240 --> 00:22:48.789
So Betty got to have one last amazing Olympic moment.

00:22:48.789 --> 00:22:56.792
Okay, in 1996, while living in Denver, at 84 years old, she was chosen to carry the Olympic torch.

00:22:56.792 --> 00:22:57.614
Oh, that's cool.

00:22:57.614 --> 00:23:06.421
Yeah, it was making its way across the country to atlanta for the for the games I remember those yeah so, even though she was a bit frail, she refused any help.

00:23:06.421 --> 00:23:10.109
She insisted on carrying that heavy torch herself all the way down the street.

00:23:10.109 --> 00:23:12.541
Nice, it was truly inspiring.

00:23:12.541 --> 00:23:20.212
So so it seems so okay, so it seems.

00:23:20.212 --> 00:23:21.835
I mean, I didn't see it.

00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:23.941
I mean, I wasn't there.

00:23:24.082 --> 00:23:28.007
Betty Robinson passed away on May 17th 1999.

00:23:28.007 --> 00:23:30.009
Okay, At the age of 87.

00:23:30.009 --> 00:23:34.075
She had been battling cancer and Alzheimer's.

00:23:34.660 --> 00:23:34.740
Okay.

00:23:35.381 --> 00:23:48.375
And her medals and other memorabilia taken from her daughter, who it passed down to, are now on display in the US Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

00:23:48.721 --> 00:23:50.255
Did her daughter give consent or did?

00:23:50.255 --> 00:23:52.113
They just take them, because you said taken from her daughter.

00:23:52.173 --> 00:23:52.719
No, I mean.

00:23:53.000 --> 00:23:54.929
Or did they storm in and stole her medals?

00:23:54.929 --> 00:23:56.425
We're displaying these.

00:23:57.119 --> 00:24:00.777
Apparently, betty kept all of her medals in a russell stover box.

00:24:00.777 --> 00:24:09.327
Really, yeah, and there was like a lone thin mint in there that's fantastic, and her daughter commented like that thin mint is always there every time.

00:24:09.327 --> 00:24:18.403
Like keeps them fresh my mom brought out the medals to show people when they would ask that thin mint would still be there that's fantastic, that's awesome.

00:24:18.442 --> 00:24:26.952
That's cool that they're on display, though, because I mean being the first woman to win a gold and track and field for the Olympics.

00:24:26.952 --> 00:24:29.215
That's pretty awesome actually.

00:24:29.236 --> 00:24:29.415
Yeah.

00:24:29.700 --> 00:24:31.205
So wow Okay.

00:24:31.406 --> 00:24:33.287
Yeah, so that's Betty Robinson.

00:24:33.579 --> 00:24:39.368
You said in Colorado Springs her stuff is yeah, Okay, I mean I've been to Colorado Springs but never thought of going to visit that.

00:24:39.588 --> 00:24:47.645
But anyway, I stuff is yeah, okay, I mean, I've been to colorado springs but never thought of going to visit that.

00:24:47.645 --> 00:24:48.469
But anyway, I guess it's on our list now.

00:24:48.469 --> 00:24:48.750
Let's do it.

00:24:48.750 --> 00:24:49.270
Let's do it all right.

00:24:49.270 --> 00:24:50.314
So what did you think of the strawberry rhubarb?

00:24:50.334 --> 00:24:51.116
hard cider from obscurity cider company.

00:24:51.116 --> 00:24:52.299
I felt like it got better as I drank it.

00:24:52.299 --> 00:24:55.965
I think that initial first sip is pretty.

00:24:55.965 --> 00:24:59.491
Yeah, I mean, you haven't took a sip since your first one.

00:24:59.491 --> 00:25:00.493
It's a bit tart.

00:25:00.493 --> 00:25:11.012
It's tart, but if you consistently, I couldn't drink too many of these, yeah in a row, but uh no it's good you tart, you tart uh, but no, I like it, it was good.

00:25:11.153 --> 00:25:17.042
Yeah, thanks again, tara, it was a good one off yeah, it was, yeah, for sure, and it's veteran owned fucking a, is it?

00:25:17.042 --> 00:25:17.683
Is it Apparently?

00:25:18.023 --> 00:25:20.085
Huzzah, huzzah Well.

00:25:20.486 --> 00:25:23.948
I suppose All right, buffoons, that's it for today's episode.

00:25:24.568 --> 00:25:28.010
Buckle up, because we've got another historical adventure waiting for you.

00:25:28.010 --> 00:25:36.057
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00:25:37.960 --> 00:25:38.461
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00:25:42.942 --> 00:25:47.550
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