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Merlene was born on 10 May 1960 in Pondside - a small rural community in one of Jamaica's
14 parishes, Hanover. Her parents were Hubert and Joan Ottey and Merlene was the fourth of
seven children. She attended the following schools: Gurney's Mount (-1971) and Pondside
All-Age (1971-1976). Later she graduated from Rusea's (1976-1978) and Vere Technical high
schools (1978-). It was back in those school days in the seventies that the inspiration and
ambition to run the sprints came to Merlene. Her inspiration mainly came from listening to the
track and field broadcasts from the 1976 Olympics in Montreal (Canada), where her
fellow countryman Donald Quarrie ran in the sprint finals. During those school years in Jamaica
when she was still a teenager Merlene Ottey accomplished to win several medals at national and regional championships - the greatest accomplishment being the 1979 200 metre bronze medal at the Pan American Games.
In August 1979 Merlene Ottey was given a stormy and enthusiastic welcome to University of Nebraska in Lincoln. This was where her road to international track and field stardom would be given a kick-start running for the Huskers team. The years at Nebraska Merlene set several collegiate records and even some 300 yards world records. She was a seven-time indoors national champion, and won just as many national titles outdoors. To go along with those titles, Ottey was an All-American 25 times. At one time in 1982, Ottey held nine of the 10 top times in 300-yard dash in the world.
Back in Jamaica her accomplishments were really beginning to be recognized: In 1980 she was named Carreras Sportswoman of the Year - an award she was to win eleven times (1980, 1982-1985, 1987, 1989-1991, 1993-1994). In the summer of 1984 Ottey graduated from Nebraska University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. The same year (3 February 1984) she married American high jumper hurdler Nathaniel Page that later ended in divorce. She also lived with Italian sprinter Stefano Tilli.
Ottey's career has been rewarded with a myriad of honors and medals. Counting all the medals she's won in the different championships you reach an amazing 46 medals. She is the most winning female athlete at the Olympics with 8 medals and she holds the record for both sexes with 14 World Championship medals.
All in all a fantastic career that truly makes Merlene Ottey the greatest female sprinter in history.
As ZZ Top so eloquently puts it: "She's got legs and knows how to use them"
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