While recognition in women’s sports has been on the rise, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done in regards to representation, respect, and wage equality. Various female athletes have been taking stands on topics important to them to build a brighter future for women in sports.
1. Colleen Quigley, United States Track and Field:
Colleen Quigley, otherwise known as “Steeple Squigs,” is a 3000 meter steeplechaser from Missouri who placed 8th in her event in the 2016 Olympics. She was formerly a part of the Bowerman Track Club and sponsored by Nike, but recently has stepped back from those groups to focus on other goals. She has been an advocate about the pandemic, women’s issues, and the future for girls in sports. Colleen is known for “fast braid Friday,” when she braids her hair for a difficult workout or race and encourages others to join her for that extra boost of confidence. She is incredibly open about her experiences and is a mentor to young athletes in showing that there is more than just running fast in life.
2. Chloe Kim, United States Snowboarding:
Chloe Kim is a snowboarder from California and is the youngest woman to win a snowboarding gold medal in the Olympics. She won the women’s snowboard halfpipe at only 17 years old. She is a co-founder of TOGETHXR, which focuses on uplifting the future generation of female athletes to talk about lifestyle, culture, and sports. Alex Morgan, Sue Bird, and Simone Manuel are the other notable co-founders of this brand.
3. Ibitihaj Muhammad, United States Fencing:
Ibitihaj Muhammad is a fencer from New Jersey and the first Muslim American woman to compete and win a medal in the Olympics wearing a hijab. She won a bronze medal for sabre fencing in the 2016 Olympics. Outside of her sport, Ibitihaj has released a memoir and a picture book and is an activist for change. She inspires young women who have been told they do not belong in places because of how they look or what they wear to forge new paths for others that look up to them. She has also released a clothing line called Louella, after her grandmother, to create fashionable, modest clothing for women.
4. Marit Bjørgen, Norway Cross- Country Skiing:
Marit Bjørgnen is a Norwegian cross-country skier who has won many individual World Cup titles and is first in the all-time Cross-Country World Cup rankings. She has 8 gold, 4 silver, and 3 bronze medals from various Olympic Games. She works with SOS Children’s Villages to help kids without parents, homes, or both. SOS Children’s Villages educates children on the importance of speaking up for themselves if they find themselves in a dangerous situation due to domestic violence. She is also a WE ambassador. WE is a resource for people with disabilities and gives them an outlet to be treated as people without disabilities would.
5. Mel Reid, England Golf:
Mel Reid is an English golfer currently ranked 37th in the LPGA. She has six career top 10s and one career victory. She is a major advocate of equal opportunity for women and the LGBTQ+ community. Mel came out as lesbian in 2018 after pairing up with Athlete Ally, which is an organization working to eliminate homophobia and transphobia in sports. She wants to normalize being openly gay, especially in the golf community where sexual orientation has been extremely stigmatized. It is difficult for women to get sponsorships and endorsements to begin with, but it is even more of a challenge if they are lesbian. Players like Mel are using their platform to eliminate this issue.
There is an exhaustive list of female athletes working to change their communities for the better, and while this is just a short list, other athletes to look into are Megan Rapinoe, Dara Torres, Dawn Staley, and Laurie Hernandez. Some of these women may be more well-known than others, but they are all positive influences on the younger generations of athletes around the world.
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