Olympic gold-medal winner Jackie Joyner-Kersee says she never imagined as a girl growing up in East St. Louis that she would one day speak at an event hosted by the governor.
"To the head table, I am honored to be in your presence,” she said. “To, you know, the governor, he left."
Although Gov. Bruce Rauner introduced her, he didn't stay for her speech. He was scheduled to be in Chicago three hours after he left. Rauner's scheduled presentation was taken out of the program.
Joyner-Kersee, an East St. Louis native, talked about how her parents and coaches worked hard so that she could succeed.
"But I use my circumstance and my environment as a motivation to dream,” she said, “to have that dream to know that I deserve, as well as we deserve, the best."
The prayer breakfast included a Hebrew scripture reading, a recitation from the Qur'an and a New Testament reading. The event has been held annually since 1963.
GOP Rep. Tim Butler from Springfield gave the closing benediction.
"I was going to tell the governor he made a very wise decision by showing up today in his first year,” he said. “There's a certain unnamed governor who didn't show up his first year to the prayer breakfast, and I don't think the good Lord took too kindly to that that he didn't show up to the prayer breakfast."
Butler was referring to Rod Blagojevich, who is serving a 14-year prison sentence.