–submitted by Kevin Hoffman
Bestselling author, journalist, and former Madisonian David Maraniss spoke about the subject of his latest book, Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe. Thorpe was a gifted Native American athlete who excelled in all sports but was best known for professional football, baseball, basketball, and winning Olympic gold medals in 1912 in the decathlon and pentathlon. Despite personally enduring racism and prejudice and broader efforts by the US government to “erase” Indigenous culture and language, Maraniss felt that Thorpe transcended sports fame. He overcame many tragedies and challenges in his life to be a lesson in perseverance for him and his people.
If you missed our meeting this week, you can watch the video here: https://youtu.be/tGk-450W0RM.
Rotary Club of Madison, Wisconsin 