Participants in this year's Susan B. Anthony Legacy Race, which commemorates
the suffragist's inspiring fight for equal rights and opportunities for women,
will themselves be inspired by a special guest.
Olympic medalist Cathy Turner will speak at the finish line ceremonies of the
race on Sunday, Sept. 21. She also will be available to sign copies of the book
Awaken the Olympian Within, a collection of essays by 27 American Olympic
athletes to which Turner contributed.
The Susan B. Anthony Legacy Race raises funds to benefit the ongoing educational
programs at the Susan B. Anthony Center for Women's Leadership at the University
and the Susan B. Anthony House. Walkers and runners start at the Anthony House
at 10 a.m. and finish on the University's River Campus.
Turner's own life is an inspiring story of vision and determination. Nine years
after retiring from short track speed skating to pursue a professional singing
career, the Rochester native returned to the sport to pursue her dream of Olympic
gold. Ignoring critics who questioned her ability to compete after her long
hiatus, she won gold and silver medals in the 1992 Winter Olympic Games in Albertville,
France. Retiring, she made another comeback prior to the 1994 Winter Olympics
in Lillehammer, Norway, where she earned another gold medal as well as a bronze
medal. In 1998, she competed in her third Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
Now in demand as a motivational speaker, Turner has served as an analyst on
ESPN and SportsChannel and appeared on numerous talk shows and sports documentaries.
She's written music for programs on HBO and CBS, sung the national anthem at
various sports venues, and done public service announcements or appearances
for such organizations as United Way, the Amateur Athletic Association, Special
Olympics, and the American Cancer Society.
For more information on the Anthony Legacy Race, call (585) 275-8799 or go online
at www.rochester.edu/sba.