(BPRW) Olympic legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee to deliver address at UCLA commencement

The three-time gold medal winner, Bruin alum and philanthropist will speak to graduates June 12 at Pauley Pavilion

(Black PR Wire) One of UCLA’s most iconic alumni is coming home to celebrate the next generation of Bruins. Six-time Olympic medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee will deliver the keynote address at the 2026 UCLA College commencement ceremonies on Friday, June 12, in Pauley Pavilion. The three ceremonies are scheduled for 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.

“It is truly an honor to return to my alma mater, UCLA, and speak to such an extraordinary group of graduates,” Joyner-Kersee said. “UCLA helped shape not only my athletic journey but also the woman I have become. To stand before the students and share a message of perseverance, purpose and belief reminds me that greatness begins with faith in yourself. Always believe that your dreams are possible and then go out and make them a reality.”

Widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time, Joyner-Kersee’s path to global stardom began at UCLA, where between 1980 and 1985 she excelled as a rare two-sport standout, in track and field and women’s basketball. On the court, she ranks among the Bruins’ all-time leaders in scoring, rebounding and games played. At the same time, she dominated college track and field, winning multiple national titles in the heptathlon — a grueling seven-event, two-day test of speed, strength and endurance — and earning UCLA’s All-University Athlete award three times. In 1985, she received the Broderick Cup as the nation’s top collegiate female athlete, and in 1996, she was inducted into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame.

Following her years as a Bruin, that dominance carried onto the world stage. Competing in four Olympic Games — Los Angeles (1984), Seoul (1988), Barcelona (1992) and Atlanta (1996) — Joyner-Kersee won six medals: three gold, one silver and two bronze. She captured back-to-back golds in the heptathlon in 1988 and 1992, becoming the first woman to do so, and set a world record in the event at the Seoul Games that still stands today. Uniquely, she was also an Olympic gold medalist in the long jump, cementing her reputation as one of the most versatile athletes in history. Joyner-Kersee’s global medal collection also includes four golds earned at the World Athletics Championships between 1987 and 1993.

In 2000, Sports Illustrated for Women named Joyner-Kersee the greatest female athlete of the 20th century — a reflection not only of her medal count, but of her unmatched combination of excellence, longevity and impact.