Female athletes who paved the way for women in sports
Male athletes usually take the sports spotlight, for both their looks and their athletic abilities. But they’re not the only ones competing. Even before Title IX became law in 1972 and helped women gain access to equal opportunities in sports, women were active on a myriad of athletic fields. Some had huge obstacles to overcome, not the least of which was breaking into arenas considered the exclusive domains of men. Now, women play collegiate and professional sports, coach men’s sports teams, and embark on careers in sports broadcasting and management. In the early 20th century, women such as Lula Olive Gill and Eleanora Sears regularly competed against men. At that time, many sports were not specifically off limits to women, but all it took was one woman to win against the boys for rules to change. Such was the case with Madge Syers who won a silver medal in figure skating in the World Championships in 1902. “The International Skating Union immediately changed the rules to ban women from competing against men after this upset, and eventually set up a venue for women to compete against each other.” Seattle journalist Maria Christensen profiles a number of other women who paved the way for women in sport, including swimmer Gertrude Ederle, runners Wilma Rudolph and Jackie Joyner Kersee, tennis star Billie Jean King and multi-sport athlete Babe Didrikson Zaharias. One woman who always makes the lists of most influential female athletes is Jackie Mitchell, who played minor league baseball in the early part of the 20th century. A pitcher, she’s best known for striking out both Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth in an exhibition game against the New York Yankees.“After this, Mitchell’s contract was voided (baseball being “too strenuous” for women) and the commissioner instituted a ban against women in professional baseball that lasted until 1992. Other pioneering women and record-breaking athletes that inspire us: Race car driver Janet Guthrie - before becoming the first woman ever to compete in the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500, Guthrie was a pilot and flight instructor, an aerospace engineer, a technical editor, and a public representative for some of the country’s major corporations. Soccer star Mia Hamm – this outstanding soccer player was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 2001 and 2002. At the age of 19, she became the youngest American woman to win a World Cup championship. She retired in 2004 to raise a family, but she made her stamp as one of the best American soccer players in history, male or female. Surfer Bethany Hamilton – the 20-year-old Hawaiian is best known for surviving a shark attack where she lost an arm. Rather than let the accident define her, she got back on her board and has continued to compete professionally. Her strength through hard times and her perseverance for a sport she loves makes her not only an inspirational female athlete, but an American icon. Swimmer Dara Torres – winning 12 Olympic gold medals is pretty awesome, but what’s more so is that Dara Torres won three of those silver medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics when she was 41-YEARS-OLD. After battling injury and undergoing rehab, she recently announced she’s training for the 2012 London Games. Who's on your list of most inspirational athletes?
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