Now a retired American hurdler, Greg Foster was the 1984 Olympic silver medalist, four-time world champion, and top-ten ranked hurdler world-wide for the 110-meter hurdle for 15 years.
Growing up in West Lawndale, where he spent his days playing basketball with friends, he planned to go to high school at Westinghouse and play basketball there. His parents, however, had other plans and moved the whole family to Maywood before Foster’s freshman year.
Foster tried out for the Pirate basketball team and made the first two cuts, but ultimately didn’t make the team. With the help of a friend and others at East, he was encouraged to join the track team instead. After trying different distances, Foster found his personal stride in hurdling.
His hurdling skills took him to UCLA, where he competed with top college athletes and future Olympians. Proviso East hosts an annual track and field invitational every year in Foster’s honor, and he continues to inspire the next generation of athletes.
Click here to watch Greg Foster in the 1984 Olympics.
