Watching women take home gold medals and sparkling trophies from sporting competitions was not always as commonplace as it is in today's society. Like in many aspects of our culture, women throughout history struggled against prejudice and dealt with condescending male counterparts before reaching their place in the spotlight of athletics. Before Venus Williams volleyed her way to her fourth Grand Slam, Lucy Diggs Slowe proved African-American women could win titles alongside men. Before Danica Patrick raced past the finish line in the Indy Japan 300, Odette Siko helped to pave the racetrack for women in auto-racing. And Madge Syers was breaking rules and changing the course of figure skating history long before Michelle Kwan spiraled onto the ice. Their names may have been forgotten in history, outshined by men like Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, and Muhammed Ali, but the legacies of women in sports live on today through their predecessors. The athletic women of history have stories filled with dramatic struggles, game-changing firsts, and historic victories. They deserve to be told.
