Homecoming for a Champion: Olympic Great Bob Beamon Visits His Old Haunts

The Olympic gold medalist made history at the 1968 Summer Olympics with a record-breaking long jump of 29 feet, 2½ inches -- a world record that stood for more than two decades.

The jump was so impressive  that even the Merrian-Webster dictionary coined a word from his name: “Beamonsque” to describe otherworldly athletic feats following his performance in Mexico City nearly 60 years ago. He told the York crowd that he is “the only athlete in history to have his name in the dictionary.”

And his journey began in the Jamaica housing projects just across from the tennis courts at York College (CUNY).

“I am home!” Beamon said, spreading his arms to their impressive wingspan as he stood beside the college’s state-of-the-art track and field facility.

He wasn’t exaggerating about being home. Beamon grew up across the street from what is now the York College campus and returned in the early 1980s to coach track and field for two years (at York) before leaving to direct the Parks and Recreation Department in Miami. The position allowed him to mentor young people who were “a little rough around the edges,” as he himself had once been.

During his visit, Beamon walked the neighborhood where his story began, pointing out the apartment building where he lived during the 1950s and ’60s, beginning at about age four or five. In preparation for the visit to York, he asked for time to meet with student-athletes.

The time wasn’t wasted. Leaning in on his personal experience and college education in the social sciences, he encouraged the students: “Love yourselves, work hard, be committed,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you lose. We’re not looking for you to break records, but stay motivated. Look after yourselves, be careful, always look 360 degrees. It’s a long haul to the top, but it’s worth it.

At nearly 80 years of age, Beamon told the students that he’s “feeling good.” Indeed, he seems to be more than just feeling good -- he’s also looking good. His gait is good and he remains almost as gangly as he was in his youth.

The trip also included filming a promotional video for the German company Bryter—described by his cousin, Yolanda Brisbane, as “a kind of ChatGPT for lawyers.” But Beamon’s focus remained firmly on York’s student-athletes, who gathered to meet the Olympic legend. He greeted everyone -- from students to the college president -- with warmth, hugs, and love.

He also arrived bearing gifts: signed Olympic ties for male students and scarves for women students.

More importantly, Beamon shared his story.

As a child, he struggled academically and said he did not learn to read and write until later in his youth. He attended traditional high schools, including Jamaica High School, as well as an alternative high school, where he continued pursuing track and field. By his senior year, his success had drawn scholarship offers from colleges across the country.

He began his undergraduate studies at the University of Texas at El Paso and later earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Adelphi University and a master’s degree in Psychology and counseling from San Diego State University.

Speaking candidly with students, Beamon reflected on the challenges of his early life. As a tween, he became involved in illegal activities, inspired, he says, by the drug dealers and petty criminals in the neighborhood, calling them his role models at the time. The trajectory of his life began changing when “a gentleman”  invited him to join the Police Athletic League at the Jamaica Armory, just blocks from the projects where he lived. There, he began running, and  breaking records instead of laws -- a journey that eventually led to Olympic glory.

Today, Beamon is a member of both the United States Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame and the National Track & Field Hall of Fame. Despite his fame and success, the local guy made good remains humble and grateful. Students and colleagues he worked with during his stint at York, such as former athletic director Ronald St. John and Andre M. Titus, Jr. of the Class of 1981, were also there to greet him.

Now 79, he is also pursuing another lifelong passion: music. Beamon was a member of the Grammy-nominated band Bone Squad, where he played percussion, and he continues performing as he approaches his eighth decade.

Arrangements for Beamon’s visit to York College were coordinated through the Office of the President with the support of York College President Claudia V. Schrader.

“Having Bob Beamon return home to York College—and to his old neighborhood—to speak directly with our students was truly special,” Schrader said. “By sharing both his challenges and his historic achievements, he offered our students encouragement, perspective, and a living example of what is possible.”

The visit concluded with a swag bag presented to the guest by York Track and Field scholar-athlete Bryan Ortiz, recently recognized by the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) Men’s Indoor Track and Field Sportsmanship Team.