Strug, who vaulted into history with her courageous performance at the 1996 Olympics, will speak about how her pursuit of an Olympic medal changed her life, said Aimee Ash, associate director of Ball State's Student Life.

The speech is free and open to the public. The program is co-sponsored by Student Life and the Excellence in Leadership program.

At 14, she was the youngest U.S. Olympian at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. Four years later, she injured her ankle but still helped the U.S. win its first Olympic gold medal in the team gymnastics competition during the Olympics in Atlanta.

Three months after the Olympics, Strug began college. She received a bachelor's degree in communication and a master's degree in sociology from Stanford University.

She now works with the Justice Department's office of juvenile justice and delinquency prevention in Washington, D.C.

For more information, contact Student Life at (765) 285-3476.

By Chantel Arsenault