21st of September 1998 was a sad day for the track and field world. On that day, the world lost Florence Griffith “Flojo” Joyner, a sprinter who carried iconicity with grace. And unfortunately, it was also the day Mary Ruth Joyner lost her beloved mother. After losing her mother, Mary was raised by her grandmother. This was until, in a rather unexpected turn of events, Mary lost her grandmother too.

In January of last year, Mary Ruth Joyner lost her grandmother who, it seems from the recent tribute, was all love. In the video that Mary posted on Instagram, her grandmother can be heard saying “I just wanted to thank you again for coming this weekend, and I enjoyed it. I was in heaven. I appreciate it so much.” The video was a barrage of emotions, as the audio was accompanied by pictures of some of her moments from the hospital before she passed.

The video goes on with her grandmother’s voice repeatedly saying, “And I want you to know I love you. I love you. I love you. ”  That voice clip alone was enough to get the fandom reaching for tissues. But then comes Mary’s caption, which is a beautiful and heartfelt tribute to grandmother. She goes on to write, “Today, as it hurts being the one year we had to say goodbye to her, I take the precious memories she gave, the discipline she taught, the food she cooked, the songs she sang to me, and most of all, the patience and love that remained between us.” And evidently, it was all love between the two. Since that was not all that the post said.

The video went on to show pictures of her grandmother in good health too. In the images, you see Mary’s grandmother looking happy and surrounded by family. With audio saying, “You can give me a call when you get a chance if you want. If not, I know you’re thinking about me like I’m thinking about you….. Bye-bye, it’s grandma.” As the video came to an end, Mary went on to add something giving the world a reminder of another great loss.

Mary Ruth Joyner in the last moments went on to honor her mother Florence Griffith Joyner aka the iconic Flojo as well.  “I know you’re watching over us all, Give Mommy the biggest hugs and kisses for me,” wrote Mary. Track and field continues to honor and miss Flojo just as much as Mary does. In fact, Al Joyner perhaps put it best when he said, “The way she lived her life, is the record that will stand the longest.” And it sure does, as not so long Mary went on to post on her mother’s birthday. It was a post about an iconic legacy and a tremendous loss.

A tribute to Flojo that had the world in tears

Not so long ago, in the winter of December was the birthday of the ever-so-iconic Flojo. It has been 26 years since the track legend passed away, however, her records and impact will never see the light of oblivion. While the loss to the track community is ineffable, the loss that Mary Ruth Joyner lived through is insurmountable. In December of 2024, she took to Instagram to talk about the same.

“Some things just ain’t fair, hold on to your loved ones… Don’t be selfish and be grateful for who is still on this earth,” wrote Mary in her stories remembering her mother’s birthday. Even after all these years, the loss of her mother is still something that stings. The recently released documentary, Flo Jo: A Daughter’s Love, was perhaps the best evidence of the same.

In the same you see, Mary, along with other family members spilling the untold stories of Florence Griffith Joyner. The world, of course, knows her as Flojo. But little did the world know, she had an iconic nickname “Lightning” long before her track career took off. As children, Flojo and her sisters used to race against each other. And the results?

As expected, Flojo used to beat her siblings in the friendly home races. And from then on, the name stuck. Considering the fact that Florence Griffith Joyner’s world records still stand, it is safe to say that, the name “Lightning” was simply a predecessor to the legacy that was to be created. At the Olympic Trials in 1988, she went on to set her 100m record of 10.49. Then, she followed it up with her 200m record of 21.34 seconds at the Seoul Olympic Games – a record that still stands unbroken.

Many athletes have come since the records, but Florence Griffith Joyner’s legacy continues to remain untouched.