42. Tennessee: Wilma Rudolph (St. Bethlehem)
Born prematurely as the 20th of 22 children, Rudolph contracted polio as a child and was told by doctors she would never walk again. Through grueling physical therapy and wearing a leg brace until age 12, she defied the odds to become a track star. At the 1960 Rome Olympics, she became the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field during a single Olympic Games, earning the title of the fastest woman in the world.