In celebration of International Women’s Day tomorrow, we bring you five women shattering the glass ceiling.
Like a boss,
The Last Night’s Game Team
Five Women Leading The Way In Sports
1. Team U.S.A. women’s hockey almost didn’t make it to the 2018 Winter Olympics because they were holding out for equal treatment. Part of the negotiations included equal pay, same equipment and per diems as their male counterparts. They were victorious in their negotiations and then backed it up by winning the gold. Not that it's a contest, but in the 2018 Winter Olympics the women on Team U.S.A. won more gold medals than the men. We all win!
2. In 1977, Janet Guthrie paved the way in racing, becoming the first woman to earn a starting spot in both the Indianapolis 500 (Indy Car Racing) and the Daytona 500 (NASCAR – National Association For Stock Car Auto Racing). Danica Patrick took Guthrie’s record a step further, as the first woman to win an IndyCar race and pole position (i.e. the best spot to start the race) in the Daytona 500. While Patrick has retired from NACSAR, she will drive the last race of her career at the Indianapolis 500 in May.
3. Ronda Rousey was told by the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) execs that there women would "never" be in the UFC. A year later, she proved them wrong as she stepped into the octagon. Since then the women’s category has exploded with women even battling it out as the main event. Never say never.
4. Following in the footsteps of the greats, Billie Jean King and Althea Gibson, Serena Williams has amassed a list of titles and records throughout her tennis career. She recently added a new one to her resume, mom. The G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) has long stood up for equity through education and stars in a new, powerful Nike ad with the message that there’s “no wrong way to be a woman.”
5. Combating the voices of hate, fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad won a bronze medal in the Rio Olympics and became the first Muslim-American woman to wear a hijab while competing for the U.S. This year, Barbie recognized her for her messages of self-love, equality and inclusion with her own Barbie Shero doll. (Shero = she hero). Her doll is the first-ever Barbie to wear a hijab.
Keep the conversation going
Need a little something for small talk before today’s big meeting? Here’s what everyone is buzzing about including a remarkable women’s basketball team, the most controversial ending in Bachelor history and why an NBA player is encouraging everyone to go see a therapist. READ
