Story Behind The Song

Wilma Rudolph (1940-1994) overcame severe physical handicaps to become one of America's greatest athletes. As a young girl, in a family that battled poverty, she was often sick in bed, first suffering from pneumonia, scarlet fever, and then polio. When fit with a metal leg brace at six, she was told she would never again walk. It was pure determination, dedication and great courage that enabled Wilma to turn her life around, becoming the "fastest woman in the world" as well as the first American woman to win three gold medals in one Olympics. In her soft-spoken, calm and gracious manner, she taught us that we must not allow our circumstances to hinder our success

Song Description

Biographical song about Wilma Rudolph, 1st American woman to win 3 gold medals in a single olympics, fastest woman in the world, who could not walk without a brace until she was 12.

Lyrics

CAN'T STOP RUNNING
(By Jonathan Sprout)

Good Dr. Coleman arrives out of breath,
Examines the girl, turns to Momma to say,
"Wilma's so sick, she may not walk again,
But we must have hope, anyway."

At twelve years she's healthy and finally walking.
Once and for all free at last of that brace.
All over town you can hear people talking,
"Wilma has run in a race! Sweet grace!"

Refrain:
She can't stop running.
After all she's been through
Can't stop running.
A golden dream come true.
She can't stop running, yeah, yeah, yes.
That's what Wilma loves to do.

Coach Temple trains her to work on her stride.
She runs for the Tennessee Tigerbelle Team.
Soon she is confident, glowing with pride,
Hard on the heels of a dream. It seems

Refrain

Bridge:
Inside that stadium in Rome,
At the Olympics, far from home,
She calmly waits for the starting gun.
A flash of lightning down the track,
The others only see her back.
And so the gold is won.
Wilma loves to run!

Refrain

Ã,© 2009 Kanukatunes (ASCAP)