August 13

Shani Davis

On August 13, 1982, Shani Davis, the first African American to win a Gold medal in an individual Winter Olympic Games sport was born in Chicago, Illinois.  He was raised by his mother on the southside of Chicago where as a small child he excelled in roller-skating.  He eventually transferred his talents to the ice and began to lay the foundation which would lead to his becoming one of the world’s top skaters.  

At the early age of only seventeen he became the first American skater to earn spots on both the short track and long track Junior World Team. On February 18, 2006, Shani Davis, became the first African American to win a Gold medal in an individual Winter Olympic in Turin, Italy.   Among many other accomplishments, he won the 2005 World Allround Championships in Moscow, Russia and in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada,  Davis won Gold and Silver medals.