OHIO — An Olympic gold medalist from Middletown is part of the latest class to be inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame, taking place during the Arnold Classic.
What You Need To Know
- The International Sports Hall of Fame Awards honors athletes for their excellence in sports and also their contributions to the community
- Olympic gold medal judo champion Kayla Harrison from Middletown was inducted.
- Dr. Bob Goldman founded the annual awards and also funds the event himself
- Past winners include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Johnny Bench and Ronnie Coleman
Judo Champion and MMA fighter Kayla Harrison joins track star Jackie Joyner Kersee, NFL Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, sports equipment guru Richard Sorin and strongman and Game of Thrones actor Hafthor Bjornson in the class of 2023. Previous inductees include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Cincinnati Reds catcher Johnny Bench and bodybuilder Ronnie Coleman.
“I want to be the best version of Kayla that I can be and the fact that people are noticing that is amazing,” Harrison said.
UFC champ and hall of famer Randy Couture gave Kayla her medal.
“I think what makes Kayla so special is her work ethic,” Couture said. “Her willingness to put herself out there — no ego.”
Dr. Bob Goldman’s the visionary behind the hall of fame. He said it’s about a lot more than honoring athletes for their success in sports.
“What we’re also doing is honoring their work and their mentorship after they retired from competition,” Goldman said. “It’s not just their world championships — what are you doing after the fact to mentor that next generation? And that’s a qualification for this hall of fame.”
“The other thing that stands out about Kayla is that she started a foundation to help kids who’d been abused because she went through some of that herself,” Couture said.
Harrison created the Fearless Foundation, for survivors of child sexual abuse.
“I was sexually abused as a child by my very first judo coach,” Harrison said. “There was a moment where I was there at rock bottom. I wanted to run away, kill myself or say something. And it was only because of that little voice inside me that I said something and I was given this story for a reason to try to make a difference in other people’s lives.”
