On Friday, July 27th from 7 p. m. until 10 p. m., an evening of “Celebration With a Legend” will be held at Dee Serving Spoon Café, 3255 West Cypress.

The legend who will be celebrated is Tampa’s own Olympian, Ms. Theresa A. Manuel. The celebration will take place during the opening ceremony broadcast of the 2012 Olympics in London, England.

The event for Ms. Manuel is to celebrate a great milestone in her life, 64 years after her debut with the American Olympic Team at the 1948 games in London.

Ms. Theresa A. Manuel was born in Tampa on January 7, 1926 to Willie and Frances (Washington) Manuel. She attended the schools of Hillsborough County, graduating from Middleton High school in 1944. She later attended Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, majoring in Physical Education, and received her B. S. degree in 1949.

During her college years at Tuskegee Institute, Ms. Manuel not only participated in the sport of basketball, where her team held conference champions status for four consecutive years, but also in track and field events, compiling records and victories that thrust her team to four championships.

In 1947, Ms. Manuel participated in a track meet at the University of Chicago. During the event, she set the record time for the 50-yard indoor dirt track hurdles that she still holds until this day.

Ms. Manuel was later honored by being chosen as a member of the 1948 U. S. Olympic Track team, making her the first African American Floridian to compete in the Olympic Games.

Ms. Manuel competed in the 80-meter hurdles and was third leg in the 440-yard team relay, and javelin throw. She, along with the rest of the team, were received in the White House by President Harry Truman when they returned to the states.

Ms. Manuel was a physical education instructor at Middleton High School, and coached girls basketball. Her team won three state championships.

Leaving Middleton after 21 years, Ms. Manuel coached basketball at Hillsborough High School for 17 years, where her teams won conference, district, and regional titles.

Ms. Manuel received many honors through the years. Among them was her being named “Coach of the Year for Hillsborough County in 1975, and 1976, and Coach of the Year for the State of Florida in 1976.

On November 2, 1979, Ms. Manuel was inducted into the Tuskegee Institute Hall of Fame; in March 1994, she became the first African American woman inducted into the Tampa Sports Hall of Fame.

Ms. Manuel was honored, along with other Olympians, by the 2012 Olympic Committee of the State of Florida, during their reception in March 2000.

Since March 1973, track and field events held at Hillsborough High School have been named the “Theresa Manuel Relays.”

Ms. Manuel, now 86 years old, is expected to be front and center during the celebration.