Tisha Waller
Encyclopedia
Tisha Felice Waller, (born December 1, 1970 in South Boston, Virginia
) is an American
athlete competing in the high jump
, who participated in the 1996 Summer Olympics
and 2004 Summer Olympics
. She is a five time American Champion, and internationally won the 1998 Goodwill Games
, plus bronze medals in the 1991 World University Games
and the 1999 World Indoor Championships
.
Tisha Waller graduated from Halifax County High School
and the University of North Carolina
. After graduating she became a kindergarten teacher, becoming 1996 Teacher of the year honors at Livsey Elementary School in DeKalb County, Georgia
. That same year she won the United States Olympic Trials (track and field)
and competed in the home town Olympics. She concentrated on High Jump, coached by Nat Page for a few years but taking the 2001 season off to finish her masters degree at Clark University
and return to teaching first grade at a brand new school, Wynbrooke Traditional Theme School in Stone Mountain, Georgia
. She was named USATFs Visa Humanitarian Athlete of the Year in 2003.
South Boston, Virginia
South Boston is a town in Halifax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 8,142 at the 2010 census.- History :On December 8, 1796, the General Assembly authorized eight commissioners to establish at Boyd's Ferry on the south side of the Dan River the town of South Boston, named for...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
athlete competing in the high jump
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
, who participated in the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
and 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
. She is a five time American Champion, and internationally won the 1998 Goodwill Games
1998 Goodwill Games
The 1998 Goodwill Games was the fourth edition of the international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s. The competition was held in New York, United States from July 19 to August 2, 1998.-Medal table:-References:*...
, plus bronze medals in the 1991 World University Games
1991 Summer Universiade
The 1991 Summer Universiade, also known as the XVI Summer Universiade, took place in Sheffield, England. In the host country it was generally referred to as the World Student Games....
and the 1999 World Indoor Championships
1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships
The 7th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held in the Green Dome Maebashi stadium in Maebashi, Japan from March 5 to March 7, 1999. It was the first time the Championships were staged outside Europe or North America. Primo Nebiolo, president of the IAAF, characterized the...
.
Tisha Waller graduated from Halifax County High School
Halifax County High School
Halifax County High School is a public high school located in South Boston, Virginia. As of the 2008-09 school year, the enrollment was 1,827. The student/teacher ratio was 15.7, and on an FTE basis there were 116.3 classroom teachers....
and the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
. After graduating she became a kindergarten teacher, becoming 1996 Teacher of the year honors at Livsey Elementary School in DeKalb County, Georgia
DeKalb County, Georgia
DeKalb County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population of the county was 691,893 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is the city of Decatur. It is bordered to the west by Fulton County and contains roughly 10% of the city of Atlanta...
. That same year she won the United States Olympic Trials (track and field)
United States Olympic Trials (track and field)
The United States Olympic Trials for the sport of Track and Field is the quadrennial meet to select the United States representatives at the Olympic Games. Since 1992, the meet has also served as the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Because of the depth of competition in some events,...
and competed in the home town Olympics. She concentrated on High Jump, coached by Nat Page for a few years but taking the 2001 season off to finish her masters degree at Clark University
Clark University
Clark University is a private research university and liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts.Founded in 1887, it is the oldest educational institution founded as an all-graduate university. Clark now also educates undergraduates...
and return to teaching first grade at a brand new school, Wynbrooke Traditional Theme School in Stone Mountain, Georgia
Stone Mountain, Georgia
Stone Mountain is a city in eastern DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,802 at the 2010 census. It is an outer suburb of the Atlanta Metropolitan Area.-Geography:...
. She was named USATFs Visa Humanitarian Athlete of the Year in 2003.