Olympic legend and UCLA alum Jackie Joyner-Kersee will return to campus to deliver the keynote address at the university’s 2026 commencement ceremonies, the university announced Tuesday.
Joyner-Kersee, a six-time Olympic medalist, will speak to graduates June 12 at Pauley Pavilion. Three ceremonies are scheduled for 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., according to UCLA.
“It is truly an honor to return to my alma mater, UCLA, and speak to such an extraordinary group of graduates,” Joyner-Kersee said in a statement. “UCLA helped shape not only my athletic journey but also the woman I have become. To stand before the students and share a message of perseverance, purpose and belief reminds me that greatness begins with faith in yourself.”
Joyner-Kersee competed at UCLA from 1980 to 1985, excelling as a two-sport athlete in track and field and women’s basketball. She won multiple national titles in the heptathlon and earned UCLA’s All-University Athlete award three times.
In 1985, she received the Broderick Cup as the nation’s top collegiate female athlete and was later inducted into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame.
She went on to compete in four Olympic Games, winning six medals — three gold, one silver and two bronze — including back-to-back gold medals in the heptathlon in 1988 and 1992. She also won gold in the long jump and set a heptathlon world record at the 1988 Seoul Olympics that still stands.
In 2000, Sports Illustrated for Women named Joyner-Kersee the greatest female athlete of the 20th century.
Beyond athletics, she is known for her philanthropic work through the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation, which supports youth and families in her hometown of East St. Louis, Illinois. She also co-founded Athletes for Hope, a nonprofit that connects professional athletes with charitable causes.
“Jackie Joyner-Kersee’s legacy is defined not only by her unparalleled achievements in athletics but by her unwavering commitment to creating opportunity for others,” said Miguel GarcÃa-Garibay, senior dean of the UCLA College and dean of physical sciences. “Her journey from a UCLA student-athlete to global leader and advocate reflects the values of excellence, resilience and service that define UCLA.”
Joyner-Kersee was selected as commencement speaker by a UCLA committee of students, alumni, faculty and administrators.