The Inspiring Journey of Women in Sports

Women have been defying the odds and opening new doors in the sports world for a long time.

We know how the world looks now. Women have more opportunities than they used to, but things are still not as fair as they should be. People continue to be discriminated against based on skin color, race or sexual orientation.

However, we strive to have a better and fairer world. And if we look at the history of sports and the opportunities that became available to women, we can see the change.

Many famous female athletes have beat the odds. They fought all their obstacles and paved the way for a new generation of women in sports. They made room for the best female athletes of all time, who have become inspirational athletes and inspired many other women to be determined.

So how did they defy the boundaries? What is the inspiring journey of women in sports?

Early Struggles

Babe Didrikson clears a hurdle at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles

AP Photo

Of course, things were not always easy for women. And they faced significant obstacles in the early stages. They had limited opportunities to compete and were always discouraged from participating in physical activities. This might be due to the early beliefs that men are more potent than women and that they can do things women can’t.

They were proved wrong over time, but women had to fight against these beliefs. You can learn more about this if you check women’s rights in essay examples, as they can help you understand this topic better. Students in college are constantly checking examples shared in class or a course they are taking on this subject. You will find out more about how women’s rights evolved.

However, it is essential to mention that even though women have encountered obstacles and early struggles, pioneering female athletes emerged. Trailblazers such as Billie Jean King in tennis, Babe Didrikson Zaharian in track and field, and Wilma Rudolph in sprinting changed public opinion. They changed the idea of society on what women can do and opened new doors to other female athletes.

Breaking Barriers

EET / AP Photo

Even though these pioneering female athletes changed how society viewed women and their talents, they still had barriers to break. And over the years, they have achieved some impressive milestones and shattered long-standing records.

For example, in 1967, Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to run the Boston Marathon as an officially registered competitor. Which, of course, challenged the belief that women are not physically capable of running long distances.

Martina Navratilova dominated the tennis world and won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, becoming an icon. And the list of examples can go on. But what did these women achieve apart from all the titles they won?

They proved that women are capable of things they were considered incapable of. They proved that women can excel in sports and inspired many other women to follow their dreams.

Advancing Women Sports

Elaine Thompson / AP Photo

Today, many sports organizations have committed to fighting inequality in sports. They are working on creating equal opportunities for women so they can do whatever they want. We can see the increased attention on sportswomen.

There is more media coverage, more professional women’s leagues, and greater recognition of female athletes. Many organizations have been established, such as the WNBA (Women’s National Basket Association) and FIFA Women’s World Cup.

They are testaments of the progress made in women’s sports.

Inspirational Figures

Serena Williams hits a forehand at Wimbledon

Anja Niedringhaus / AP Photo

Many things have changed since the early struggles and up to this day. Women now have more opportunities in the world of sports, and they are encouraged to perform and succeed. And the proof is here. Of course, we still have to work on some beliefs as a society, but things have evolved and are better than a couple of years ago.

The present era is filled with remarkable women athletes that are now role models and an inspiration for young athletes. Serena Williams is one of them. She changed the perception of women as a powerful, winning 39 Grand Slam singles (23), double (14) and mixed doubles (2) titles. Simone Biles has redefined the boundaries of what is possible in her sport, gymnastics. And there here are many more inspirational female figures in sports today.

The journey of women in sports has not been easy. The early misconceptions about what women could and could not do deprived them of many opportunities. However, they were determined to fight against these and prove that women were physically capable of running long distances or winning Grand Slam singles titles.

Women are capable of anything. They are ambitious and determined to prove others wrong. This happened over time, and today many inspirational figures serve as role models for young female athletes.

This article is a partnership with Grades Fixer.