8 Inspiring Female Athletes
With different organisations supporting female athletes worldwide, women have continued rising in this male-dominated world. From climbing the highest mountain on earth to swimming in brutal conditions, women have proven that they can achieve anything.Â
Today, women are not only shining in business but also in politics, engineering, and sports. Here are notable women whose contributions in athletics have made headlines worldwide.
Billie Jean King
Before Billie came along, women tennis didn’t get a lot of attention. However, the match against Bobby Riggs and Billie in 1973, dubbed as the battle of sexes, forever changed how people view the game. Despite all odds against her, Billie emerged victorious, with win dispelling any fear that men are more athletic than women. That made her an inspirational athlete.
Dara Torres
At 40 years, Dara Torres was an unheard-of Olympic swimmer. However, she managed to secure three silver medals at 41, before making her inspirational comeback into active sports at 49 years.Â
Dara proves that age is only a number, and anybody can achieve their dreams at any age. Today, Dara is a 12-time Olympic medalist and a former world record holder in three events. Even better, she won the female sportsperson of the decade by Sports Illustrated.
Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka is another sensational tennis player who’s mostly marked as the bookies favorite at Betway during most of her matches. Naomi managed to crush her childhood tennis idol, Serena William, in straight sets at only 20 years old.
At the moment, Naomi Osaka is the highest-paid female athlete globally, and she continues to inspire millions worldwide. Naomi started drawing attention to herself through her talent at the age of 16 years, though it took years before getting known globally. She’s currently among the top ten athletes you can wager on at Betway and expect them to deliver outstanding results despite the challenge.
Gertrude Ederle
In 1926, Gertrude decided to join the five men who swam across the English Canal. Gertrude was the first female swimmer to complete this feat, and she managed to do it faster than all men who had done it before her time. The completion of this feat saw her named as America’s best girl, with her record standing until 1950.
Pamela Reed
Pamela Reed was a long-distance runner and quite an inspiration. Reed won the Badlands ultra-marathon in 2002, becoming the first female to claim the title.Â
Badlands is among the most challenging ultra-marathons, running 300 miles without sleep. Pamela impressed everyone after completing the course in less than eight hours.
Dawn Fraser
Despite dawn Fraser being asthmatic, she was the first woman swimmer to break 60 seconds for one hundred meters freestyle. She was also the first lady to triumph four Olympic gold medals and the first swimmer to win 100 meters freestyle in three consecutive Olympics. She did not use her condition as an excuse not to do well in sports.
Nadia Comaneci
Obtaining a 10 in gymnastics is rare, and it is reserved for the genuinely flawless athletes. In 1974, Nadia Comaneci, a 14-year-old Romanian girl, scored the first perfect ten at the Olympic Games. She scored seven more perfect 10s and won 3 gold medals.
Cathy Freeman
Cathy Freeman is not a stranger to racial prejudice. Cathy never received any acknowledgement while growing up, though other white girls from Australia with lesser talent received trophies. Despite the discrimination, Cathy Freeman rose quickly in Australia runners’ ranks and was the first Aboriginal Australia to represent Australia in the Olympic Games.