JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — She was one of the most successful coaches in Jacksonville history. Now, a bridge over the Ribault River on Howell Drive on the Northside of Jacksonville was named the" Coach Gwendolyn Maxwell Bridge to Ribault" in honor of the legendary late coach Gwendolyn Maxwell, who impacted her athletes well beyond the track.
"We salute and we honor coach Gwendolyn Maxwell," said City Councilmember Ju'Coby Pittman during a ceremony to honor the former Ribault coach.
"Maxie's Girls" and "Maxie's Guys" gathered to honor their former coach and cut the ribbon on the Bridge to Ribault.
Maxwell passed away in 2020, but during a 36 year career she coached the Ribault girls track team to 4 state titles and 2 of her athletes won Olympic Gold Medals. Chandra Cheeseborough won gold in the 4x100 and 4x400 relays at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Dannette Young won gold in the 4x100 relay in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.
The track where Maxwell developed champions is still in between Ribault Middle School and the site of the future Ribault High School, that's where she formed state champions and Olympians, but more importantly, champions at life.
"These young ladies went on, not only to become successful athletes, but her fruit is evident that she taught us to run but she taught us to live life and be successful," said State Representative Kimberly Daniels.
Daniels ran for Maxwell at Ribault in the late 1970s and was teammates with Cheeseborough.
"Miss Maxwell was an influence in being a young lady, making sure that student athletes had nutrition, little things that make a difference," said Cheeseborough, "she was the type of person that she's going to keep you on the straight and narrow, so that's how she molded me."
Jacksonville City Councilmember Rahman Johnson, who is also a Ribault graduate, presented Maxwell's daughter Chiquita Rivers with a proclamation to celebrate her late mother's accomplishments.
Generations of students who have never, and will never compete for Gwendolyn Maxwell will walk across the bridge that bears her name. Rivers hopes they will be inspired by her mother's legacy.
"We're trying to grab some of those who walk across this bridge because we want to empower young people to have that mindset to be the best they can be just like she empowered us," said Rivers.
That lasting memory lives beyond the bridge. The Cheeseborough Invitational is a track and field meet named after one of Maxwell's most successful athletes and will be held Saturday March 30th at First Coast High School. More information about the Cheeseborough Invitational can be found here: https://cheeseboroughinvitational.com/