Editing Ray Ewry (section)

==Personal life and early career==
Ewry was born in [[Lafayette, Indiana]], and contracted [[polio]] as a young boy. In his childhood, he used a [[wheelchair]],<ref name=r1 /><ref>{{cite web |title=RAY EWRY MEDALS |url=http://www.olympic.org/ray-ewry |website=Official website of the Olympic Movement |access-date=June 23, 2015}}</ref> and it was feared that he might become paralysed for life.

However, Ewry did his own exercises and overcame his illness. Ewry attended [[Purdue University]] in 1890–1897, where he captained the track and field team, played [[American football]],<ref name=r1 /> and became a member of [[Sigma Nu]] fraternity.  After receiving a graduate degree in mechanical engineering at Purdue, he moved to New York. There he worked as a hydraulics engineer and became a member of the [[New York Athletic Club]]. He specialized in now defunct events, the standing jumps: the [[standing high jump]], the [[standing long jump]] and the [[standing triple jump]]. These events were similar to their modern, normal versions but the athlete jumped without a run-up.<ref name=r1 /><ref name=r2 />