Throughout history, women's sports have always come in second to their male equivalents. Actions such as the passage of Title IX in 1972, which gave women equal athletic opportunities in all federally-funded programs, have helped support the advancement of women's athletics. However, there is still a long way to go in creating a culture that values female athletes, who dedicate their lives to their athletic pursuits despite never receiving the same credit or compensation of their male counterparts. Despite their cultural disadvantages, women throughout history have continued to compete and have inspired girls across the globe with their unwavering work ethic, heart, and talent. They are the purest form of athletes, competing not for money or fame but for a true passion for their respective sports. Here is a list of some of these athletes:
1. Mo'ne Davis
Mo'ne Davis made history when in 2014 she became the first female to pitch a shutout in the Little League World Series. She is the eighteenth girl overall and the first African American girl to play in the tournament. Since Davis accomplished this highly-publicized feat, girls across the country have been signing up to play Little League.
Houry Gebeshian is not only a full-time physician assistant at a Cleveland-area hospital, she is also an elite gymnast training to be the first female Armenian gymnast to qualify for the Olympics. After taking a three-year hiatus from her beloved sport, Gebeshian saw the opportunity to chase her life-long dream of competing at the Olympic level and jumped on it. In addition to working full-time, Gebeshian also trains by herself 15 to 20 hours per week at Gymnastics World in Broadview Heights, Ohio (a hometown hero for me!). Now, at age 26, despite competing against much younger athletes, Gebeshian is looking to make history and establish a strong women's gymnastics program in the Republic of Armenia.
"Lynn Hill isn't just one of the best female climbers in the world-- she is among the greatest rock climbers of all time." This quote from author Jon Krakauer describes rock climber Lynn Hill perfectly. Hill established herself as the greatest climber in the world, male or female, when she became the first person to free climb El Capitan's "The Nose" in Yosemite National Park in under 24 hours. Hill is also known for her extensive competitive career, winning more than 30 international competitions. Despite training for years with Yosemite's male-dominated "Stonemasters," Hill proved with her tireless work ethic and immense talent that women can compete with men.
4. Lauren Chamberlain
Lauren Chamberlain is currently the NCAA record holder for career home runs, clearing the fence an astounding 91 times throughout her four years as an Oklahoma Sooner. Even more impressive than the record itself, however, is the means by which Chamberlain set it. Due to back and knee injuries, Chamberlain was stuck in the dugout for almost a third of her junior season. Despite this setback, Chamberlain accomplished the feat in 52 less games and 97 less at-bats than previous record holder Stacey Nuveman, who hit her 90th career home run 13 years earlier.
5. Abby Wambach
Recently, the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team has made headlines in their battle for equal pay. Wambach, who recently retired at age 35 after a historic 15-year professional career, is a prime example of why these women deserve the same compensation as their male counterparts. Wambach, with 184 career goals, has scored more than any other player in the world including both males and females. Additionally, she has more multiple-goal games than any other national team player in history with 45.
6. Lavone "Pepper" Paire Davis
Known as the inspiration for lead character Dottie Hinson in the 1992 film "A League of Their Own," "Pepper" Paire Davis began her career in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) in 1945, long before women's sports became widely accepted in our culture. Davis was known for her team-first attitude, switching from her primary position, short-stop, to catcher when she was traded to the Racine Bells in 1946 and the team needed a strong leader behind the plate. Throughout Davis's impressive 10-year career, she played 926 games, recording 713 hits with just 117 strikeouts. Davis truly showed that women have the ability to succeed athletically long before it became mainstream.
7. Kerri Strug
Kerri Strug did not let an injury keep her from guaranteeing a U.S. gold medal in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Despite two torn ligaments in her ankle, Strug finished her vault, scoring a 9.712 and winning her team the medal.
8. Bethany Hamilton
Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm when she was attacked by a shark at age 13, never let her injury stop her from chasing her dreams. She returned to surfing after a month of recovery and won a national title two years later. Her story, recounted in the best-selling autobiography and 2011 film "Soul Surfer," has reached and inspired girls across the world.
9. Kayla Montgomery
"Every day that I run, it might be my last day-- I could easily wake up tomorrow and not be able to move." This is how Kayla Montgomery describes what it is like to be an athlete competing with Multiple Sclerosis. However, rather than succumb to her condition, Kayla has vowed to get the most use out of her body while she still can. Suffering through a loss of feeling in her legs when exercising, Montgomery learned to use her arms to control her pace, finishing each race by collapsing into her coach's arms. She went from being an average runner to an elite competitor, winning the North Carolina State Championship and earning a spot on Lipscomb University's cross country and track teams. ESPN's E:60 video "Catching Kayla" tells Montgomery's heroic story.
