Female Athlete Heroes

In my study of heroes, I specifically focused on Female Athlete Heroes. These heroes are women that had an impact on the sport they competed in by bringing something unique to the game. As I learned more about Female Athlete Heroes, I realized that there are so many different sports that women compete in and and have impacted but a natural way to categorize the athletes would be to divide them into two categories; individual competitors and team competitors. The Female Athletes who compete individually are involved with golf, tennis, track and field, gymnastics, swimming, etc. The team competitors are apart of soccer, basketball, hockey, softball etc. The media portrays female athletes through pictures, videos and quotes published. These forms of evidence help portray women athletes as dedicated, hard working and motivated. They have changed the meaning of being a female athlete.

Individual Competitors:

These are women who compete on their own, not with a team. Individual competitors include athletes from track and field, tennis, golf, swimming and several other sports.

This video is a collection of pictures of track runners. The pictures capture the pain these athletes endure and the glory they achieve at the end of their race. I thought it was important to include this video because I think it accurately portrays what each athlete goes through to achieve their goal of success and the glory they receive from it.

This is a picture of Nancy Lopez who is arguably the best female golfer ever. In 1987 she had the most outstanding season ever for an LPGA rookie and she is the third youngest player inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame. Nancy is a woman that accomplished many things in golf and she is credited to have helped popularize golf among women. I think this was an important picture because it symbolizes a woman who excelled in a "man's" sport and paved the way for future female golfers.

This is a video of Sonja Henie in the 1932 Olympics. Sonja dominated figure skating with 10 consecutive world championships and 3 Olympic gold medals. This video is important because it shows the product of her relentless work ethic and it shows her femininity despite fierce competition.

This is a picture of Bonnie Blair speed skating in the 1994 Olympics. As far as individual Olympians go, Bonnie Blair was the most gilded woman in U.S. history. She won consecutive golds in the 500 at the 1988 and 1992 games. Blair is a woman that skated because it was her passion and she is a good example of someone who is successful because they love what they are doing.

Team Competitors:

These are women who train, compete, win and loose with a team. They depend on each other for their success. Team competitors include athletes of soccer, basketball, hockey and several other sports.

This is a photo of the United States Women's National soccer team all warming up together. I think this picture is really important when discussing team competitors because it shows the joy they have for what they are doing together. A team is like a family with a common goal for success. The video below is also about the Women's National soccer team and it summarizes all of their accomplishments and their goals for the future. It also demonstrates what it means to be apart of a team. The effort to win is for the team. Everything is for the team, not the individuals.

This is a picture of Cammi Granato who was the all time leading scorer in U.S. national team history. She is a female athlete who was a team competitor but by being an individual competitor, she was able to impact each team she was on. She is an important Female Athlete Hero because she is said to be the best hockey player the US has ever produced.

This artifact is a picture of Diana Taurasi who was named the 2006 USA Basketball Female Athlete Of The Year. She was honored because of her leadership during the USA's run at the bronze medal in 2006. This is an important picture because it represents a woman who embraces her team and is selfless in basketball, the team comes first.

"Playing for USA basketball and representing our country is, alone, a real privilege," said Taurasi. "I love the process of coming together to pursue the gold with such a talented group of women. An award like this, to be chosen within that group, is an incredible honor." -Diana Taurasi

This is a quote directly from the Athlete of the Year. Diana is a role model that demonstrates what it really means to be apart of a team.

Conclusion:

Throughout my research of Female Athlete Heroes, I learned a lot about what it means to be a competitor. I've learned that for different athletes, there are different qualities that one must have in order to be successful in their pursuit of their goals. The natural division for Female Athlete Heroes is between individual competitors and team competitors. An individual competitor needs a certain swagger that enables them to be the best they can be when in competition. They do not have teammates who encourage them to get better, that motivation needs to come from within an individual competitor. In contrast, a team competitor has a team of athletes supporting them and pushing them to be better. Despite the outside encouragement, these athletes need that motivation from within themselves. Female Athletes have changed the meaning the competition. They have influenced athletics in just about every aspect. The Female Athlete Heroes have paved the way for the future of female athletics and they have demonstrated the power of a female in sports.