The centennial of the 1924 Paris Olympics and the legendary story of Richard Norris Williams

Richard Norris Williams may have lost his legs to frostbite in the sinking of the Titanic, but 12 years later he won gold at the Paris Olympics

The centennial of the 1924 Paris Olympics brings to mind the legendary story of Richard Norris Williams, an athlete whose life was marked by an incredible act of resilience. Williams, an American tennis player, is known not only for his victories in the world of tennis but also for surviving the Titanic disaster.

Born on January 29, 1891, in Geneva to American parents, Williams quickly demonstrated extraordinary talent in tennis, guided by his father, Charles Duane Williams, co-founder of the International Tennis Federation. By age 12, Richard was already winning youth championships in Switzerland.

After continuing his studies at Harvard, he embarked on the Titanic with his father for a trip to the United States. Here begins his legendary story. The tragic night of April 14, 1912, forever changed the course of his life.

Resisting leg amputation with all his might

Tragically, his father died, crushed by a falling smokestack, while Williams—after freeing a passenger trapped in one of the cabins by breaking down a blocked door—managed to survive by swimming to a lifeboat and enduring hours of exposure to the freezing cold.

When the Carpathia rescued him, his legs were severely frostbitten. Despite the Carpathia’s doctor’s recommendation for amputation, Williams adamantly refused, determined to save his legs, insisting he needed them.

With unparalleled determination, Richard would stand every two hours on the ship’s deck to stimulate blood circulation in his legs. This extraordinary effort not only saved his limbs by revitalizing them and restoring sensation to the lower part of his body but also marked the beginning of a bright sports career.

In 1912, the same year as the shipwreck, Williams won the mixed doubles at the US Open with Mary Brown, becoming one of the top 10 players in the world. He subsequently dominated American tennis with two more US Open victories in 1914 and 1916 before serving in the army during World War I.

However, his career did not end there, as he reached the pinnacle at the 1924 Paris Olympics, where he won the gold medal in mixed doubles with Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman at the age of 32, twelve years after the shipwreck that could have cost him not only his legs but also his life.