Gold medalist shares her journey with DOC participants

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HURON — A 10-hour bus ride from her home McLain, Miss., began a path that would lead Ruthie Bolton to a collegiate career at Auburn University, which was followed by several world championships, a pair of Olympic gold medals and a professional career in the Women’s National Basketball Association.
The 5-foot-9-inch guard, who was a two-time WNBA All-Star for the Sacramento Monarchs, is attending this year’s Dakota Oyate Challenge, which started Thursday and continues through today at the Huron Arena. It’s Bolton’s second trip to South Dakota, after attending the Lakota Nation Invitational, which was held Dec. 12-15 in Rapid City.
“I had such a blast. I told them this is the best kept secret in Midwest,” she said her first trip to the state. “It was really awesome, I had a blast. They said they were doing something else in a month, so I told them I would love to come back and I was actually pursuing them. I was calling, because I wanted to be part of the expereince. The last expereince was so epic, I want this experience to be amazing too.”
Throuhout the three-day event, Bolton will be sharing her experience with the players on each team, as well as the fans in attendance.
“I just talk with them and remind them to enjoy the game and enjoy the moment — don’t think about the game too much,” Bolton said. “Make this experience one you’ll never forget, then you move on to the next one. Life is about experiences.
“Then I share my story,” she said. “I tell them to keep their mighty power, you are mighty. I encourage them to be the best version of you, whatever they look like.”
Bolton’s journey wasn’t any easy one by any means, but she says a few principles she gained from her father growing up helped her to overcome any obstacle that stood in her way.  
“One thing of the many things he would say was ‘If you take in life just a few principles, you won’t have to carry your suitcase full of rules’,” said Bolton, who comes from a family of 20, which includes 12 girls and eight boys.
“The three principles he lived by were faith, attitude and his work ethic, which is his character. Those things really helped me and prepared me for a whole lot in life and prepared me for the challenges I would face,” she said. “I dealt with a lot of rejection, a lot of insecurities, a lot of fears and just applying those principles my dad taught me really, really helped me.”
Coming out of high school, Bolton wasn’t highly recruited to play basketball, so she made the decision to follow her older sister, Mae Ola Bolton to Auburn. They spent three seasons playing together for the Tigers, earning three SEC championships and made a pair of Final Four appearances.
“That was discouraging, but my dad reminded me you have to go for it, you have to push, keep a good attitude and believe, so that’s what I did,” Bolton said. “That helped me to get to college and have a pretty good four years at college. In four years, I won 118 games and lost 12, so I had a pretty good college career.”

While it turned out to be a good decision, the route to Auburn was very different from the one experienced by her sister.  
“They really didn’t want me at first. I rode a bus there, I rode a bus for 10 hours to that school and when I got there they told me I wasn’t good enough to play and I’d never make the travel team,” Bolton said. “That was really discouraging, but my dad reminded me, ‘You know what, this could be the most important ride you ever take’, because I didn’t want to get on that bus to go there. They flew my sister in a private jet, so I’m like why do I have to get on a bus if they flew in a private jet.
“So I dealt with a lot of fears going there, and then knowing I didn’t hardly know anything about basketball, so I understand that perception that I wasn’t as good as my sister,” she said. “But I got there and I was forced to dig deep to find out who I really was. Being able to go there and help the team to three SEC championships and two Final Fours was a milestone in my life and it helped prepare me to get ready for the national team.”
Being named to the national team was yet another hurdle for Bolton to clear. Not being part of the 50 invitees to try out for one of the 24 spots on the roster, meant she would have to foot the bill for the trip to the national training center at Colorado Springs, Colo.
“Of course there were some fears, but I was like you know what, my dad reminded me you don’t let fear keep you from pursuing your dreams. So I had to pay my own way to tryouts, so I did it,” she said. “Out of 175 girls they are only going to pick 24 and I was one of the 24 they picked. That was the start of my national endevour, so what if I wouldn’t have done that, I probably wouldn’t have been able to play in two world championships and two Olympics and, the Goodwill Games. I’m thankful I’ve been able to do the things I’ve done in basketball.”
Bolton averaged 14 points per game in her first national competition to lead the United States to a gold in the 1991 World University games in Sheffield, England. Lisa Leslie averaged 13 points per game in the event. She helped USA to a bronze medal at the 1994 World Championship in Sydney, Australia before making her first Olympic appearance in 1996.
During the Olympics in Atlanta, Bolton recorded a game-high 21 points in a win against Ukraine and averaged 12.8 points during the 8-0 run to the gold, as well as leading the team in steals with 23.
“My Olympic experience was amazing. In making my first Olympic team and we are going to represent our country in Atlanta, which was such a beautiful thing,” Bolton said. “It was such a high price to pay and very competitive. Every day in practice, we’re scrimmaging against the world’s best. We felt we were close to being the best, so we always challenged and worked hard like we were trying to catch up. “Just that experience and being on that team with phenominal women and amazing coach – Tara VanDerveer (of Stanford), it was just a moment I should never forget,” she said. “I live in that moment constantly.”
At the 1998 FIBA World Championships in Berlin, Germany, Bolton hit some key 3-pointers to rally the team back to win the gold medal against Russia. Then during the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Bolton averaged five points per game in helping USA to an 8-0 record and a second straight gold medal
“Sydney was awesome with Nell Fortner as a coach and Geno (Auriemma of Connecticut) as an assistant. It was great,” Bolton said. “If I had to compare the two, Atlanta was just amazing; we had a gold in our own country. You can’t write a script any better than that.
“Being in Australia created some sense of urgency, because you can win at home but the key to being a really good team is if you could win in someone else’s back yard, she said. “We were able to go there and win in someone else’s back yard, which is obviously amazing.”
One of the memories from her national team experience that sticks with Bolton the most is when she first made the team.
“The coach had gone around the room saying why you made the team — Lisa Leslie (your scoring ability), Teresa Edwards (your leadership); Katrina McClain (your rebounding); Sheryl Swoopes (your scoring ability); Nikki McCray (your defense) — all those things and when she got to me she said I just told the committee I’m just not going to leave the country without Ruthie.
“For her to trust me to that degree meant a lot to me. She worked me, there was nothing handed to me, trust me,” she said. “She challenged me and worked me, but she brought out something inside of me that I didn’t know I had. She said I don’t what has happened in the past, you’re going to be one of the best shooters in the county. I’m like me? It was late in the game, but she had a process where I went and shot a lot after practice and made a lot until I was  the go-to player. She really prepared me, so that is an experience I’ll never forget.”
When asked about the experience of standing on the podium and having your country’s national anthem played Bolton replied, “It is beautiful, it really is. I don’t care how many times you’ve heard it, you’ve never heard it the way you hear it that day, that moment to hear the national antheym and the words just marinates,” she said. “You reminisce, you think about the past, the struggles and the times you were going to give it up. I’m like man, I’m so glad I’m here. Then you think of the people who helped you along the way – your family, your parents, other teammates and even other opponents. There’s a lot that goes into becoming an Olympian – the struggles, the good times and the bad times. You just reminisce all of it while you stand there.”
Following her career on the national team, Bolton joined the Sacramento Monarchs of the WNBA. She played professionally from 1997 to 2004, being selected to the WNBA All-STar Game in 1999 and 2001 and being named to the All-WNBA first team during her rookie season.
Bolton, who also served as a first lieutenant in the United State Army Resevers as a transportation officier, is also a published author with three books that detail her life experiences.
“The Ride of a Lifetime was written in 2010-2011 and it’s just about my basketball story – not quiting, turning no to yes and overcoming challenges. It is a very basic, easy read really for anybody, not just teenagers. A lot of parents get them, read them and then give them to their child,” she said. “Pain to Power is my most recent book and it talks about how to deal with domestic violence. Keep your Mighty Power is a journal that parallels the Ride of a Lifetime, it really encourages girls to shine bright just like a diamond.”
While she has some copies of her books available at the tournament, Bolton said all three can be purchased by visiting www.mightyruthiebolton.com.
As for main message Bolton is most excited to leave with those that she visits with on her travels is one that her father passed along to her.
“To the world you might be one person, but to one person you just might be the world,” she said. “That’s what I live by.”