gold medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics, gained over 40 pounds during her pregnancy and did not resume training until well after her child was born in 1982. Husband: Alvin Hooks (NFL football player, m. 1981), Son: Alvin Hooks, Jr. (b. 1982) & Valerie's nephew, Amar Brisco, was a football cornerback in the 1990s at NCAA UNLV. Valerie Brisco-Hooks with her son Alvin Jr. at the 1984 Olympic trials. The West Athens Elementary, Locke High School, California State University Northridge Alum was inducted in the United States Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1995. Valerie Brisco-Hooks Sports Foundation Inc is located at 1138 E 71st St Los Angeles, California 90001. She became an advocate for drug-free schools and actively sought out opportunities to interact with students in the classroom to convey her message. She made time in her training and competition schedule because she felt so passionately about making a difference. It was not until meeting Jackie Joyner Kersee that she changed her work ethic As a young girl she moved with her family from the rural south to the urban Watts neighborhood in Los Angeles. She was inspired to run by her older brothers, Robert and Melvin Brisco. Robert and Melvin were finishing a hard workout at their high school track late one day, when the violence of the neighborhood struck and a stray bullet shot from a gun held by a ninth-grader killed Robert. References External links SportingHeroes.net article on Valerie Brisco-Hooks 1984 Olympic Women's 200 meters 1984 Olympic Women's 400 meters Image of Valerie Brisco-Hooks showing her Olympic medals to students at West Athens Elementary school in Los Angeles, California, 1984. Los Angeles Times Photographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles. 1960 births Living people American female sprinters People from Greenwood, Mississippi Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1988 Summer Olympics Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field Olympic silver medalists for the United States in track and field American track and field coaches World Athletics Championships medalists Track and field athletes from California Medalists at the 1988 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1979 Pan American Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1987 Pan American Games Pan American Games gold medalists for