June 26, 2026 - August 23, 2026
The Peoria region has shaped athletes who changed their sports forever. Emerging from neighborhood courts, practice fields, school gyms, and recreation centers, Peoria has nurtured athletes whose influence stretched far beyond the city limits into the nation and the world. Each focused exhibition in this series highlights a notable member of the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame who, set records, broke barriers, and redefined what was possible in their sport.
Featuring icons such as Shaun Livingston, Tim Broe, Lorene Ramsey, and Curley “Boo” Johnson, this showcase honors athletes and coaches whose extraordinary achievements echo far beyond central Illinois. Their journeys, while rooted in Peoria, carried onto national and global platforms to inspire pride, resilience, and ambition. Through their triumphs, the exhibition celebrates a legacy of athletic brilliance that continues to shape Peoria’s identity and ignite the dreams of future champions.
Lorene Ramsey
While Lorene Ramsey first earned national recognition as a standout softball player, her greatest legacy was as a coach, mentor, and advocate for women’s athletics. Through her work at Illinois Central College (ICC), she created opportunities for generations of young women in the Greater Peoria area, helping build a culture of excellence in women’s sports that continues today. Joining ICC in 1968, Ramsey established the school’s women’s athletic program at a time when opportunities for female athletes were limited. She founded and coached women’s basketball and softball teams, transforming ICC into a national contender and providing hundreds of student-athletes with the chance to compete and develop leadership skills all while continuing their education.
Ramsey’s impact can be measured in the lives she influenced. For more than three decades, she championed women’s athletics in Central Illinois, inspiring young women to pursue goals that earlier generations had rarely been encouraged to imagine. Her leadership helped shape the growth of women’s sports throughout the region and secured her place as one of Greater Peoria’s most influential coaches.
Tim Broe
Tim Broe developed into one of the nation’s top distance runners while competing for East Peoria Community High School and later the University of Alabama. A multiple-time U.S. champion in cross country and track, he established himself among America’s elite runners through national titles, record-setting performances, and international competition. Broe reached the pinnacle of his career in 2004 when he qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team and competed in the 5,000 meters at the Olympic Games in Athens. Throughout his career, he was known for his dedication to training and his advocacy for clean competition in sport.
After retiring from professional running, Broe remained committed to developing the next generation of athletes. As a coach in Oregon, he has worked with runners at all levels, sharing the experience and discipline that carried him from Central Illinois to the world stage. His accomplishments continue to serve as a source of pride and inspiration for the Greater Peoria area.
Part of the Peoria Riverfront Museum's celebration of America 250
The Peoria Riverfront Museum is celebrating the 250th anniversary of our nation in 2026. Join us all year long for exhibitions on American art, science, history and achievement, including The Promise of Liberty, an exhibition guest curated by documentarian Ken Burns. Featuring a 1776 copy of the Declaration of Independence, a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech and more, this exhibition will be the largest collection of some of the most important documents in American history on display during America 250.
Sponsored by Alexis and Elizabeth Khazzam, America 250 donors, Visionary Society, Friends of Sports
