BEAVER FALLS ― Beaver Falls track legend Candy Young will be the featured speaker during a Black History Month celebration this weekend at Tabernacle Baptist Church in the city.
The 1980 Olympian and Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame member, said she always had high aspirations of becoming an Olympic champion.
Her thoughts and dreams ultimately came true after a highly successful high school and collegiate career.
Growing up in a loving household of eight girls and one boy, led by her parents, the Rev. John E. Young Sr. and Gertie Mae Gardner Young, Candy recalls developing her love for track and field as a youngster with influence from her older sister, Gayle Young.
“Just playing outside and running and jumping over everything,” recalled the woman born Canzetta Young. “My mother named me for the famous gospel singer, Cassietta George of The Caravans,” said the divorced mother of two adult children – now known as Minister Candy Young Sanders.
Though she was reared under her father’s churches at Christ Temple Church Of God In Christ in Beaver Falls and Bible Way COGIC in New Castle, on Sunday Young returns to her Beaver Falls roots as featured speaker for the 39th annual Black History Symposium at Tabernacle Baptist Church at 3 p.m.