In the world of sports, women continue to set records on and off the field by breaking down barriers and stereotypes and fighting for a chance to be treated equally to their male counterparts. These women and many others continue to be an inspiration to generations and promote dreaming big and never giving up.
Title XI
An important aspect that helped the success of women in sports was the signing of Title IX. Title IX became law in 1972 to ensure that males and females in educational settings are treated equally and fairly. This law has leveled the playing field for scholarships, activities, and access to equipment and has played an important role in giving women the right to equal opportunity as student-athletes.
Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King can be identified as an influential woman in sports. King is known for her professional tennis career, where she won 20 Wimbledon championships, defeated Bobby Riggs in the battle of the sexes, and many other accomplishments. She also made history off the court. Billie Jean King fought for women and men to earn equal pay in tennis competitions, which resulted in Grand Slams offering equal prize money. She was the first woman to be named Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year and earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.
Megan Rapinoe
Another influential woman in sports is Megan Rapinoe, a former American soccer player who reached both athletic and personal achievements by using her platform to stand up for equal pay and gender discrimination in the sports industry. She has done so by filing a lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation for pay discrimination, due to earning significantly less than the men’s soccer team, even when they are more successful and bring in more profits. While Rapinoe is now retired from playing, she continues to fight for racial and gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and social justice.
Mikaela Shiffrin
Additionally, Mikaela Shiffrin, the two-time Olympic gold medalist for American alpine skiing was included in Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2023. While being a global sports icon, she also speaks out on issues such as climate change. Shiffrin, along with many other winter sport athletes called on the International Ski and Snowboard Federation to do more to fight against climate change.
Countless female athletes fight for a change in the industry and are making history simply by being women in sports. It also doesn’t stop at athletes, many women are working behind the scenes in the sports industry that are also paving the way for future generations.
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