8 Famous Women in Sports Who Moved the Boundaries

#1 and #2 Serena and Venus Williams (26 September 1981 and 17 June 1980)

When thinking of women in sports who moved the boundaries then you can’t really get any better examples than Serena and Venus Williams; the famous sisters who took the tennis world by storm in the 1990’s and have dominated it ever since with their talent and unique style.

Between them they have won 13 Grand Slam double titles and 24 Grand Slam singles titles, and both have Olympic gold medals in singles and doubles.

There is no doubt about it; between them these two flamboyant and talented sisters have changed the way women’s tennis is played.

If passion and fashion are the name of the game, then these girls are the rightful queens.

#3 Aileen Riggin Soule (May 2, 1906 – October 19, 2002)

This remarkable woman was the youngest American Olympic Gold medallist; at the age of just 14 she won a gold at the 1920 Olympics in Belgium for women’s springboard diving.

Although she learned to swim as a child it wasn’t until illness struck that she took it up seriously.

During WW1 she came down with the influenza epidemic which swept the US and on the recommendation of her doctor took up swimming for her health…talk about turning lemon into lemonade.

At just 4 feet 7 inches and weighing only 65 pounds, she was the smallest American Olympic champion and went on to become the only woman to win medals in both diving and swimming during the same Olympics.

Soule is a true inspiration for sporting women everywhere.

#4 Donna Lopiano (born September 11, 1946)

There was a moment in this sports woman’s childhood that has motivated her ever since.

This was when, during a little league game in the spring of 1958, someone pointed out a rule to her, the rule was simple yet effective in inspiring her for the rest of her career.

The “rule” contained just 4 little words: “girls are not allowed”.

However, we all know rules are there to be broken.

It was to take her parents 5 years from that day to find a league in which she was allowed to play.

And just as well they persevered because Lopiano turned out to be a truly remarkable athlete and participated in 26 national championships. She played softball on six national championship teams including the Connecticut Braketters and played in four different positions.

She currently holds the position of President of Sports Management Resources, and her many achievements include serving for 17 years as Director of Women’s Athletics at the University of Texas and also being the CEO of the Women’s Sports Foundation.

She was named as one of “The 10 Most Powerful Women in Sports” and has also been listed as one of “The 100 Most Influential People in Sports.”

So, it would appear that girls are indeed “allowed”, and when they are…they often hit the top.

#5 Alice Coachman (born November 9, 1923)

This amazing sports woman was the first ever black woman to win an Olympic gold medal.

Her high jump in the 1948 Summer Olympics meant that she was not only the first black woman but also the only American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in athletics.

Coachman was not only a great high jumper but also excelled in sprinting and it is believed that had the 1940 and 1944 games taken place (they were cancelled due to WWII) she would have won even more medals.

What is even more amazing about Coachman’s success is that she was born in Georgia which at the time was in the heart of segregated America and therefore facilities and training opportunities were often denied to her.

She therefore had to improvise by running barefoot in fields and on dirt tracks and had to use makeshift equipment to practice her high jump.

Despite all the setbacks she had to endure, she aimed high and realised her dream.

Her incredible story is an inspiration to women in sports all over the world.

#6 Carolina Klüft (born February 2, 1983)

This now retired super athlete competed in heptathlon, pentathlon, triple jump and long jump.

She is a 3 times world and European heptathlon champion and is also the only athlete to win three world titles in heptathlon.

As far as wonder women in sports go, this Swedish sports super star is hard to beat in her discipline, having won 9 consecutive gold medals in major heptathlon and pentathlon championships.

Reported to having been bullied at school, Klüft used her athletic prowess to gain respect.

Even by her high standards it is unlikely she ever thought she would gain respect on such an international level too.

Another shining example of how we can turn darkness into light and the power of perseverance.

Don’t let the bullies win. Beat them with your own success.

#7 Sue Sally Hale (August 23, 1937- April 29, 2003)

This woman was an absolute trail blazer for women in sports everywhere.

Although she was a polo player, her determination to play and succeed in a sport dominated by men is an inspiration to us all.

At the time when Hale was competing the US Polo Association tournaments banned women from playing.

So instead of being deterred Hale just turned up disguised as a man.

That’s right, this remarkable women played polo for nearly two decades as a man under the pseudonym A Jones.

Even when she was eventually allowed to play as herself without the trademark ‘drawn on’ moustache, she continued to stick two fingers up to the sports establishment by once playing a polo game on a mule just to prove that it had the right degree of intelligence.

I doubt this wonderful woman knew the words “I cannot do that” and goes to prove to us all that we can do anything we want in life.

#8 Babe Didrikson Zaharias (June 26, 1911 – September 27, 1956)

This sports woman is difficult to categorise as she achieved success in a variety of disciplines which included track and field, basketball and golf.

She has been acknowledged as being one of the greatest women golfers of all time.

However it would appear that it was not just as a sports woman that she excelled but also she was a bit of a domestic goddess too.  She was a skilled seamstress, as well as being a talented singer and a harmonica player.

One has to ask if there was any end to this woman’s talents.

Named as the 10th Greatest North American Athlete of the 20th Century and also the 9th Greatest Athlete of the 20th Century, her record is impressive to say the least.

During her lifetime Zaharias broke the mould of the typical feminine stereotype, being 5ft 7 and weighing in at 115lbs. In fact she was sometimes derided for her manliness.

However this did not stop her forging ahead in her brilliant sports career.

During one golf tournament she hit a drive so hard that a spectator was heard to say “She must be Superman’s sister.”

Of course there are many other women in sports who have moved the boundaries and who continue to amaze and inspire us. It is a sombre thought that it was not that long ago that some sports were not open to many of us based on our gender or our race. The message here is that sports can not only be fun and a great way to keep in shape, but can be an important measure of our society, as well as a great reflection on the indomitable human spirit within is all.

Cover photo: http://www.khelnama.com/