New monument honors 10-time Indiana Olympic gold medalist

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A central Indiana city now has a monument to a 10-time Olympic gold medalist who grew up there and was one of the world’s top athletes a century ago.

The granite monument emblazoned with an image of Ray Ewry and a list of his accomplishments was unveiled during a ceremony Thursday at Lafayette’s Jefferson High School.

Ewry grew up in Lafayette and at age 7 suffered from infantile paralysis and rheumatic fever, leading doctors to predict a life in a wheelchair. But he overcame that illness to win gold medals for standing high jump, standing broad jump and standing triple jump during Olympics from 1900 to 1908.

Monument committee Dick Leill tells the Journal & Courier that he hopes the project will help make sure Ewry isn’t forgotten.