Women’s History Month 2022 - Celebrating The Contributions Of Female Athletes In The World Of Sports

There was a time when women were not permitted to participate in team sports. Thankfully, times have changed dramatically. Women are now competing in almost every sport and taking top honors. In this regard, March is regarded as one of the most significant months of the year, as it is also known as Women's History Month 2022. Women in sports have improved nearly every aspect of the industry. It would be impossible to do them all justice, but their contributions deserve to be recognized. This prestigious event of Women's History Month 2022 aims to highlight and celebrate the contributions of female athletes in the world and to modern society, particularly in sports.

This event will be discussed further in this article as we want to shine a light on those women who have helped increase opportunities and break down institutional barriers for female athletes.

Why Do We Have To Celebrate The Contributions Of Female Athletes During Women’s History Month?

There is no doubt that female athletes in any sport, from tennis players to runners to swimmers, are incredibly inspiring. The sports world has not always been welcoming to the idea of female athletes, but that hasn't stopped them from becoming some of the most decorated and influential athletes in history.

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As a result, we commemorate Women's History Month to remind ourselves of the contributions that women have made to our culture and society over the years. It's an opportunity to reflect on the trailblazing women who have paved the way for change in fields ranging from science to politics to sports. This event serves as a reminder to remember the sacrifices made by women and to encourage women to contribute to making the world, and our country, a more inclusive place. This is a time to remember the bravery of women in previous generations and to celebrate how their efforts provided women with the opportunities and freedoms they have today. When it comes to the world of sports, this event is also memorable because females working in Athletics, particularly Sports Information, which is largely dominated by men, reminds the hard work and demonstrate that women are capable of achieving anything.

10 Female Athlete Pioneers That Greatly Contributed To Sports

Today, millions of women and girls participate in sports whereas most of them practice reiki to make their body and mind energetic and healthy. They walked through the doors that had been forced open by the pioneers and trailblazers who had come before them. Women were fighting for more than just inclusion less than a century ago. They were fighting for the basic recognition that women too can be a good athlete. These ten women used their talent as a hammer to smash down doors and shatter expectations. These women paved the way for millions to follow, and they should not be forgotten for their contributions to elite athletics or the sacrifices that brought them there.

• Gertrude Ederle (Swimming) - Gertrude Ederle rose to prominence in 1926 when she became the first woman to swim on the English Channel. Ederle competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, holding 29 amateur national and world records at various freestyle distances. She won gold in the 400-meter freestyle relay and bronze in the 100 and 400-meter freestyle.
• Babe Didrikson Zaharias (Multisport) - She was a trailblazer in women's sports, setting multiple world records, winning two Olympic gold medals in track and field, revolutionizing women's golf, and helping to found the LPGA.
• Alice Coachman (Track and Field) was the first African American woman to win an Olympic medal. From 1939 to 1948, she was a sensation, winning the Amateur Athletic Union high jump championship ten times in a row and the 50-yard dash five times in a row.
• Althea Gibson (Tennis) - She was the first African American athlete to win a Grand Slam title, paving the way for Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens, and Coco Gauff to follow.
• Wilma Rudolph (Track) - Known as "the fastest woman in the world," Wilma Rudolph made history in 1960 when she became the first woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympics.
• Toni Stone (Baseball) - As a member of the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League, she became the first woman to play professional baseball.
• Ann Meyers Drysdale (Basketball) - She was a true trailblazer for female basketball players. She was the first high school student of either gender to play for the United States national basketball team, and she was the first woman inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame.
• Debi Thomas (Figure Skating) - She is the most successful African American figure skater of all time, having won two national titles and one world title. She was the first African-American woman to win a medal in the Winter Olympics.
• Manon Rhéaume (Ice Hockey) - She is the first woman to play in any of North America's four major sports leagues and won silver for Canada in the 1998 Winter Olympics.
• Lyn St. James (Racing) - The first woman to win the Indy 500's Rookie of the Year award at the age of 45. She also became an ambassador for racing as a sport, working tirelessly to encourage more women to participate.

Top History-Making Female Athletes

To commemorate Women's History Month, let's take a look back at what women have accomplished in sports throughout history.

• Billie Jean King is without a doubt one of the world's best tennis players. As a former world number one, King nearly made history by ensuring that the US Open would award equal prize money to men and women.
• Junko Tabei was the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest, which she did in 1975.
• Florence Griffith Joyner set the world record in the 1998 Olympics for the 100 and 200-meter dash.
• Nadia Comaneci received the first-ever perfect score in gymnastics at the 1976 Olympic Games when she was only 14 years old.
• Tara Cunningham became the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal in weightlifting in 2000.
• Alice Coachman became the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal due to her incredible performance in the high jump at the 1948 Olympic games.
• Trischa Zorn is the most decorated Paralympian swimmer of all time.
• Jackie Joyner-Kersee was the first athlete to score over 7000 points in a heptathlon competition, as well as the first athlete to win two heptathlons in a row at the Olympics in 1988 and 1992.
• Misty Copeland was the American Ballet Theater's first African-American woman to be named Principal Dancer.

Conclusion

Women have come a long way in their quest for a place in sports, and a large part of that is due to the inspirational female athletes who have paved the way with their determination and resilience. Women continue to shatter glass ceilings and defy preconceived notions of womanhood. Let us continue to honor these women in order to inspire the next generation, who will in turn inspire future generations.