At 6’5″, Flo Hyman was among the tallest women volleyball players ever—and almost single-handedly changed the way the game was played. She took up the sport at age 15 and was a star at the University of Houston.

She led the U.S. national team to the silver medal in the 1984 Olympics, and had her sights set on gold in Seoul when tragedy struck. In 1986, at age 32, Hyman died suddenly, the victim of a rare heart disorder called Marfan syndrome. Today, she continues to be a daily inspiration to American volleyballers, who pass the bronze statue of her that graces the entrance of the Olympic Volleyball Training Center in Colorado Springs.

Photo courtesy of Hard Road to Glory