Ohio Gov. John Kasich announced during his final State of the State address Tuesday that Ohio will be getting a new park — the largest in state history — and revealed that it will be named after U.S. Olympic track athlete Jesse Owens.
Owens, also known as “The Buckeye Bullet” was an American track star who competed at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany, where he won four gold medals and broke two world records.
In making the announcement, Kasich referred to Owens as the “Great Ohioan who stood up to Hitler and came home with a gold medal.”
During his time as governor, Kasich has delivered his State of the State address in various locations around the state, shunning the traditional setting at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus. This year, the term-limited governor delivered his final address in his hometown of Westerville, a northeast suburb of Columbus.
During his final address, Kasich also paid tribute to the two Westerville police officers that were killed after responding to a 911 call.
Kasich is rumored to be preparing for another potential presidential bid in 2020, after failing to earn the GOP nomination in 2016.
