The badass women of sports history who changed the world
Each day of Women’s History Month, FanSided is celebrating a different woman who made an impact on the sports world.
These aren’t your typical Mia Hamms or Serena Williamses of the world, while those women rightfully deserve all the attention and praise they receive, this is a deep dive into some lesser known women who shifted the paradigm, altered the course of history and charted paths for women everywhere.
Renée Richards
One of the biggest victories for transgender rights happened in 1976, when Renée Richards fought the United States Tennis Association against gender testing of women leading up to the 1976 U.S. Open. Richards refused to complete the gender testing, which led to her being banned from competing that year.
Instead of giving up and backing down, Richards sued the USTA for discrimination and won her case, granting her the right to compete in women’s events going forward. Recognized for having a uniquely powerful serve as a lefty, Richards competed in the 1977 U.S. Open and made it to the doubles final before losing to the duo of Martina Navratilova and Betty Stöve.
After competing professionally for four years, Richards retired from tennis and reconnected with Navratilova years later as her coach. During the ’80s, Richards coached Navratilova in two of her nine Wimbledon titles and is credited for helping Navratilova improve her tactical approach to each tennis match.
Throughout her career, Richards was surrounded by controversy and dealt with heavy discrimination from every direction, but persevered through it all to reach her dreams. While she never set the tennis world on fire, her courage to stand up for her own rights, as well as transgender rights, broke down barriers for transgender people, and people fighting for what they believe is right going forward.
Manon Rhéaume
When you’re the first to accomplish anything in sports you become part of a selective group of people who made history, tore down barriers or paved the way for those after you. In 1992, Manon Rhéaume was added to that group when she suited up for the Tampa Bay Lightning, becoming the first woman to play in any of the four major sports leagues in the United States.
Rhéaume played in preseason exhibition games as a goaltender for the Lightning for two seasons, while also competing with the Canadian women’s national hockey team at the 1998 Winter Olympics, where she won a silver medal.
A quick run-through of Rhéaume’s career and you’ll find its littered with historic firsts. A Canadian native, Rhéaume grew up playing on both girls and boys hockey teams and became the first girl to ever play in a boys pee-wee hockey league, and when she got older the first girl to play in a boys junior league. While initially her signing with the Lightning was used as a way to spark interest in the new expansion team, it was clear early on that she meant business.
In her historic appearance for the Lightning, she saved seven-of-nine shots on goal against the St. Louis Blues, and while she spent the remainder of her career playing for several minor league teams, she inspired girls everywhere to pick up a hockey stick.
Gertrude Ederle
You don’t get the moniker “Queen of the Waves” without accomplishing something so historic, that you earn New York City’s first ever ticker tape parade. For Gertrude Ederle, it was just another accomplishment on her belt.
At 19 years old, Ederle became the first woman to successfully swim across the English Channel. Despite a failed attempt on her first try, due to her coach thinking she was drowning, Ederle ignored the words of her coach who said women may not be equipped to swim that far, and not only succeed, but broke records.
Ederle’s time of 14 hours and 34 minutes was faster than the five men who accomplished that feat before her, but this isn’t her first rodeo at breaking records. Before Ederle defied the odds and captured the attention of everyone with her English Channel swim, she was part of the 1924 Summer Olympics U.S. swim team that took home the gold in the 4×100 meter freestyle relay.
Ederle’s record stood for 24 years before it was broken by Florence Chadwick, and although she isn’t a nationally recognized name today, her accomplishments in the water showed on a global scale that women can not only do what men do, but do it better.
Babe Zaharias
Before she co-founded the LPGA in 1950, effectively putting women’s golf on the map, Babe Zaharias broke the gender barrier in the PGA, almost two decades prior. But it wasn’t just golf that she excelled at, Zaharias was a versatile athlete who broke records and proved to many, especially men, that women can dominate multiple sports.
In 1932 as a member of the U.S. Olympic track and field team, Zaharias set four world records on her way to winning two gold medals and one silver at the Summer Games. Competing in hurdles, javelin and high jump, Zaharias is still the only track and field athlete to win medals in a running, jumping and throwing event at the Games.
But Zaharias never wanted to be pigeonholed into just one sport, she never wanted to just be a great track and field athlete or a great golfer, she wanted to become the greatest athlete of all time, which she basically accomplished after being named the Greatest Female Athlete of the first half of the 20th century by The Associated Press.
When it came to golf, her first event competing on the PGA tour took place in 1938 at the Los Angeles Open. Standing at 5-foot-5 inches, Zaharias was a sight to see on the green, regularly driving the ball 250 yards. Her ambition, which was often seen as abrasive at the time, became an important touchstone in the history of women’s sports.
Kathrine Switzer
Amid staunch misogyny and antiquated rules, Kathrine Switzer went against the grain to become the first woman to run in the Boston marathon as a numbered racer in 1967. Prior to the 1967 Boston Marathon women were able to participate, however they weren’t official entrants and their times were not kept track of. To make matters worse, they were forced to either run 10 minutes ahead of or behind the men.
That changed after Switzer accidentally was given a number and ran with the men throughout the marathon. Race officials tried to tear her number off during the marathon, however support from fellow runners, including her husband, ensured that didn’t happen. Switzer knew that quitting that race is what people wanted, but she never stopped.
Seven years later, when women were officially allowed to compete in the New York Marathon, Switzer was the first woman across the finish line. After retiring from racing Switzer became an advocate for women overcoming obstacles in life by launching the 261 Fearless non-profit organization, which helps bring women together through running and healthy living.
Conchita Cintrón
Often called the Golden Goddess, Conchita Cintrón’s days as a matadora throughout South America are perhaps some of the most historic in bullfighting history. During the ‘40s, when women were unable to compete in the same competition style as men, Cintrón adjusted her bullfighting style and still became one of the most prominent figures in the sport.
While Cintrón wasn’t the first female bullfighter in the sport’s history, she is the first woman that was taken seriously in the sport. Her combination of skill and grace, and daredevil nature made her a must-see attraction, but her journey to become the most well-known bullfighter wasn’t met without large doses of sexism and discrimination.
Spanish law prohibited women from dismounting from the bull to fight it on foot, and while Cintrón followed this rule for the majority of her career, in her final bullfighting appearance she went a little off script.
After being denied permission to dismount from the bull for the kill, Cintrón defied the law in what is considered the most dramatic bullfighting performance in history. Cintrón’s display of rebellion mixed with her elite skill level made for an exciting finish to her illustrious career.
Barbara Buttrick
An undefeated world championship boxer in two weight classes, Barbara Buttrick made a name for herself as the most dominant woman boxer of her lifetime. Standing at 4’11” in the ring, Buttrick made up for what she lacked in height with her powerful left jab, which earned her the name, “Mighty Atom in the Ring.”
Buttrick is responsible for introducing women’s boxing into the conversation of sport on a grand scale, and did so during a time when women were seen as “freakish” for being athletic in a sport so physical. She became the first women’s world champion in 1957 when she beat Phyllis Kugler who was taller and weighed more, while also fighting with the flu. Her determination to be the absolute best every time out is what propelled her into a national icon, garnering attention from writers across the country who wanted to see her in action.
It wasn’t that Buttrick was just the best woman fighter, she fought in thousands of exhibition matches against women and men and only lost once. Her sparring partners were often men, and one of her early title fights was the first woman’s fight to be broadcasted over radio.
As a child, Buttrick was inspired by prizefighter Polly Burns to pick up boxing, but thanks to Buttrick’s efforts in putting women’s boxing on the map, women and girls everywhere were inspired by her to pick up a set of gloves.
Ibtihaj Muhammad
Named to Time Magazine’s most influential people list in 2016, Ibtihaj Muhammad made a statement at the 2016 Rio Olympics when she became the first Muslim-American Olympic athlete to wear a hijab at the Games. Muhammad followed that up when she became the first female Muslim American to win a medal, taking home bronze as part of the U.S. fencing team.
While Muhammad made her name on the Olympic stage, her reach goes far beyond the realm of sports. Since the Olympics, Muhammad has used her platform to speak on a variety of issues, from empowering young girls in women in sports to the unfair treatment of Muslims in America.
Her efforts to advocate for tolerance and spread positive messages even led to Barbie creating a doll inspired by Muhammad. She’s taken the platform given to her and is using her voice to stand up for those who are voiceless and even though she made history at the Olympics, Muhammad’s impact outside of sports will felt for years to come.
Toni Stone
In 1953 Toni Stone became the first woman to ever play professionally in a men’s league when she was signed to the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro Leagues. This wasn’t some PR stunt, or a fluke either, Stone grew up playing baseball and dreamt of playing it professionally.
Despite her family trying to convince her to give up baseball, Stone persevered to become one of the most exciting players in the Negro Leagues. Her path wasn’t easy, in fact Stone lied about her age to make herself more “appealing” to teams, claiming she was younger than she actually was, but it didn’t matter, because her talent spoke for itself.
In her two-year career in the Negro Leagues Stone hit .243 while playing with the likes of future greats Willie Mays and Ernie Banks, and when she was facing the great Satchel Paige in an exhibition game she got a hit off the legendary pitcher.
Stone fought through so much adversity, and although she only played professionally for two years, her impact on the game made it so women after her could take her legacy and push it even further.
This post will be updated regularly throughout Women’s History Month with new stories each day.