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PEOPLE's new cover story pays tribute to Robert Redford's iconic life and legacy

The Oscar winner died at his home in Utah on Tuesday, Sept. 16, at age 89

In addition to his Hollywood career, Redford was known for founding the Sundance Institute and for his legacy of environmental activism

It’s no surprise Robert Redford was a star athlete in high school, even winning a baseball scholarship to the University of Colorado Boulder with dreams of becoming a Boston Red Sox.

Yet once asked about the proudest moment in his sports career, the actor admitted, “I had just one. We were making The Natural and my character was supposed to hit the ball foul,” he recalled of his goosebumps-inducing 1984 film.

Redford convinced the director to give him a shot. “Pitcher came in from

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