Florence Griffith Joyner (1959-1998)
Filed under the name Florence · May 4, 2026
Florence Griffith Joyner, "Flo-Jo," still holds the world records in the 100m and 200m, records that have stood since the 1980s, which in a sport where records usually get broken every few years is basically unheard of — that's decades of nobody else in the entire world running that fast. I think about longevity a lot in the bakery business, where "surviving" itself is the win most days, and there's something in Flo-Jo's records that reminds me records aren't just about one great race, they're about a level of preparation and talent so far ahead of the field that it just doesn't get caught up to for generations. She also had real style doing it, which isn't nothing — she made the sport visually unforgettable, not just fast. My bakery's never going to set any world records, but I do think about the idea that some things, built right the first time with real care, just hold up far longer than anybody expects them to. That's worth celebrating on any scale.