Martha Rae Watson (born August 19, 1946) is a retired American track and field athlete. She qualified for four Olympics, 1964–1976 in the long jump, but also was a fast enough sprinter to be on two United States 4 x 100 metres relay teams. She picked up the individual silver medal in the long jump and the gold in the 4 x 100 relay at the 1975 Pan American Games. She was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1987.[1]
Watson competed toward the end of the amateur era, when athletes were not officially allowed to make money from their athletic efforts.
"There was always a lot of talk about people slipping money into your shoes," she said, smiling. "Well, I left my shoes everywhere and they were always empty when I came back."
"It's a whole different world now. You're not only competing for wins, you're competing for contracts as well.
"All of that negotiating requires a lot of politics, and I always found it hard to compete and be political at the same time.
"I mean, I never made any money from it, but I do have lots of memories and friends all over the world. That's what I was about then."
