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1. Kathrine Switzer (marathon runner)
Kathrine Switzer's experience serves as a poignant testament to the obstacles confronted by pioneering women athletes and the remarkable strides made by girls and women in sports within a relatively short span of time. In 1967, as a 20-year-old student at Syracuse University, Switzer registered for the Boston Marathon under the initials K.V. Switzer, inadvertently masking her gender. This was a time when women were barred from participating in the prestigious race, a tradition that had endured for over 70 years. Despite the officials' assumption that Switzer was a man, she received an entry number.
During the marathon, a race official named Jock Semple attempted to forcibly remove Switzer upon realizing she was female. However, fellow runners, including Switzer's boyfriend Tom Miller, intervened, thwarting Semple's efforts, and enabling Switzer to complete the race. The photographs capturing this historic incident and the story of Switzer's groundbreaking participation reverberated globally. Her record-setting run as the first registered female Boston Marathon runner followed Bobbi Gibb's historic, albeit unsanctioned, run in 1966.
Subsequent to the marathon, Switzer became deeply involved in advocating for increased access to sports for girls and women. Her efforts, alongside those of other women runners, culminated in persuading the Boston Athletic Association to revoke their discriminatory policies, allowing women to officially compete in 1972. Today, nearly half of Boston Marathon entrants are female. Moreover, Switzer played a pivotal role in championing the inclusion of a women's marathon in the Olympic Games, a milestone realized with the inaugural women's marathon at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Remarkably, the individuals central to this pivotal moment underwent a transformation. Semple, after the policy change, publicly apologized to Switzer, and the two reconciled. He subsequently became a fervent supporter of women racers. Reflecting on the episode she termed the "great shoving incident," Switzer remarked, "these moments alter your life and the course of the sport. In that one instance, everyone's belief in their own capabilities was transformed, turning a negative occurrence into one of profound positivity."
2 Pearl Moore (basketball)
During her collegiate career at Francis Marion University from 1975 to 1979, Moore dazzled audiences and opponents alike with her extraordinary talent. Standing at a modest 5-foot-7, she defied expectations and dominated the court, leading her team to the postseason for four consecutive years. What truly set her apart, however, was her scoring ability, as she consistently averaged over 30 points per season, a feat unparalleled in the annals of women's basketball.3 Gertrude Ederle (swimming)
n 1926, Gertrude Ederle etched her name into the annals of sporting history, captivating the world as the first woman to conquer the formidable challenge of swimming across the English Channel. Born in 1905, Ederle's affinity for swimming emerged early in life, a passion that persisted despite the warnings of doctors who cautioned against exacerbating her hearing impairment, a result of a childhood bout with measles.
Prior to her groundbreaking Channel swim, Ederle's swimming prowess had already earned her acclaim on the international stage. Competing at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, she clinched a gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle relay and secured two bronze medals in the 100 and 400 freestyle events.
On August 6, 1926, clad in sheep grease to mitigate chafing, Ederle plunged into the turbulent waters of the English Channel, braving rough seas on her historic journey. Typically a 21-mile endeavor under calm conditions, the Channel presented a more formidable challenge that day, requiring Ederle to traverse at least 35 miles. Undeterred, she forged ahead, completing the arduous crossing in a staggering 14 hours and 31 minutes, setting a world record that surpassed the feats of her male predecessors by at least two hours.
Ederle's triumphant achievement catapulted her to instant stardom, garnering ticker-tape parades, floods of fan mail, and a flurry of marriage proposals. Embracing her newfound celebrity, she embarked on a tour with a vaudeville act and even starred in a short film depicting her remarkable life. Yet, beneath the glitz and glamour, Ederle grappled with the toll of fame, experiencing a nervous breakdown in the aftermath of her Channel swim.
Compounding her challenges, Ederle's hearing continued to deteriorate, exacerbated by her grueling aquatic feat. Despite her own struggles, she found solace in teaching swimming at the Lexington School for the Deaf, employing physical demonstrations to communicate with her students, even though she never learned sign language herself.
In a life marked by extraordinary achievements and personal challenges, Gertrude Ederle remained unmarried and resided in Flushing, Queens, until her passing in 2003 at the remarkable age of 98. Her legacy endures as a testament to perseverance, courage, and the enduring spirit of human achievement.
4 Babe Didrikson Zaharias (multi-sport)
This woman...wow. I couldn't decide what sport photograph of her to feature so I chose the cover of book written about her that shows them all. She basically did ALL the sports!
Babe Didrikson Zaharias, born in 1911, left an indelible mark on the world of sports as a pioneering figure, achieving unparalleled success across multiple disciplines and breaking barriers for women athletes. Her extraordinary talent and unwavering determination propelled her to greatness, earning her accolades in track and field, golf, and beyond, while also leaving an enduring legacy as a founder of the LPGA.
From a young age, Didrikson displayed exceptional prowess in a wide array of sports, showcasing her versatility in basketball, baseball, swimming, diving, golf, and more. However, it was her introduction to track and field in 1930 that marked a turning point in her athletic journey. Competing at the 1932 American Athletic Union championships, she astounded spectators by single-handedly representing her team, Employers Casualty Company, and dominating the competition with an unprecedented performance. In a remarkable display of talent and endurance, Didrikson competed in eight events within three hours, setting four world records and outscoring entire teams with her 30-point total.
Her remarkable achievements continued on the international stage at the 1932 Olympics, where she shattered records and claimed two gold medals in the 80-meter hurdles and javelin, while also securing a silver medal in the long jump, despite controversy surrounding a ruling on her technique. Despite her Olympic triumphs, Didrikson faced criticism and ridicule for her perceived masculinity, prompting her to transition to golf, where she believed female athletes were more readily accepted by society.Embracing golf with characteristic tenacity, Didrikson honed her skills through relentless practice and dedication, ultimately becoming one of the most dominant players in the sport's history. Her illustrious career saw her win a staggering 82 tournaments, including three US Women's Opens, and she played a pivotal role in the establishment of the LPGA in 1950, forever changing the landscape of women's golf.
Even in the face of adversity, Didrikson's resilience shone brightly. Diagnosed with colon cancer in 1953, she defied medical expectations by returning to the golf course after surgery, winning the 1954 US Women's Open just one month later. Her courageous battle against cancer made her a beacon of hope for countless individuals, as she became one of the first athletes to openly advocate for cancer awareness and research.
Tragically, Didrikson's life was cut short at the age of 45 due to complications from cancer, but her enduring legacy as America's greatest multi-sport athlete lives on. Today, her memory is preserved and celebrated at the museum dedicated to her in Beaumont, Texas, where her medals and personal effects serve as a testament to her remarkable achievements and lasting impact on the world of sports.
Part 1 of this 2 part podcast episode is up now. (Part 2 will be up next week - May 6th)
(primary source: https://sports.yahoo.com/womens-history-sports-pioneers-10-140838754.html)