Experience The Buzz: NO. 18 -- RUTHIE BOLTON | 2-Time Gold Medalist 🏀 + Hall of Famer on Steno.fm

Experience The Buzz

NO. 18 -- RUTHIE BOLTON | 2-Time Gold Medalist 🏀 + Hall of Famer

March 10, 2021 11:00pm

1h 39m

Ruthie Bolton is a powerful woman. She is ready to preach. And that should make sense since her father, the late Reverend Linwood Bolton Sr. was a preacher. Her story is truly like no other that I have heard. This preacher's daughter was one of 20 children in her family, including a twin brother and close to 150 nieces and nephews. In a big family, Ruthie found a way to be a shining star.

Ruthie tells a story about a fence in the backyard of her Mississippi home. Her victory with the fence is what ignited everything that would come next ... Auburn, Olympics, two gold medals, the WNBA, and becoming a woman who survived domestic abuse and is a voice for all athletes and women. It's inspiring!

In today's episode of Experience the Buzz, Host Steve Buzzard is honored to be joined by Ruthie Bolton (who now lives in Mississippi). "Her story is amazing and it's understandable why she is one of the most respected players in women's basketball and is a hero to women worldwide." Our conversation hits FOUR areas:

Segment ONE focuses on Ruthie's childhood in Mississippi. She talks about the emergence of her athleticism and her older sister Mae Ola. Then we get two great stories: The FENCE story and The BUS story. Good stuff.
Segment TWO turns to life after Auburn and Ruthie's journey to make the National team. Ruthie shares her experiences playing for Hall of Fame Coach Tara Vanderveer. And then Ruthie just simply preaches about life itself.
Segment THREE focuses on the Olympics in 1996 when Ruthie got the assignment to shut down one of Brazil's greatest women basketball players Maria Paula Silva. The story then shifts to Ruthie's arrival in the WNBA, the comparison between the WNBA and international play, winding down her playing career, and her last year with the Monarchs.
Segment FOUR starts with Ruthie's Hall of Fame induction in 2011. She then shares how ESPN decided to film a documentary that highlighted her basketball career as well as her battle with domestic abuse. Ruthie finishes off with her current projects.

Here are some of my favorite HIGHLIGHTS ...
1. The DAD quotes are off the charts. You have to pay attention because there are so many that were all so instrumental in Ruthie's life.
2. The FENCE story.
3. Shutting down Brazil's best player Maria Paula Silva in the gold medal game
4. The 1996 Olympics story Ruthie shares involving the team and a football field. Goosebumps.

Our Connection | I met Ruthie Bolton (then Bolton-Holifield) when I was a broadcaster for the Sacramento Monarchs.

ENJOY THE TALKING STORY! 🏝

SACTOWN MAGAZINE - "A Mighty Heart" by Hillary Louise Johnson | Click Here
Ruthie's Ted Talk - "Healing, Thriving, and Helping Others |