Get inspired by famous female athletes and their stories

Athletes aren’t just inspiring because of their skill in the game. Their dedication and perseverance are also something to admire. And female athletes have had to train just as hard as their male counterparts while facing unique challenges.

The world of sports hasn’t always welcomed women. Female athletes only began finding their place in professional arenas about a century ago. They’ve had to knock down barriers, challenge the status quo and take risks.

Thanks to the famous female athletes who paved the way for those to come, professional opportunities now exist for women wanting to get in the game. But there’s still a long way to go. Women athletes often don’t earn as much as their male counterparts or have access to the same opportunities. Female athletes are undeniably still fighting for equality, and we stand behind them.

As we seek a fairer society where everyone’s allowed to play, we can look to the trailblazers who’ve gone before us for inspiration. We’ve compiled a list of the legendary stories of famous women athletes who’ve been instrumental in creating safer, fairer sports spaces. We’ll also tell you a bit about the history – or should we say herstory – of women in sports so you can visualize the progress made over time and feel motivated to continue supporting the cause.

Get inspired by 6 of history’s most influential female athletes

The following six world-class female athletes need no introduction. Their stories tell us all we need to know about their role in the fight for more equitable sporting arenas.

1. Serena Williams

One of the world's greatest athletes, tennis player Serena Williams holds the greatest number of Grand Slam singles titles in the Open Era – 23, to be precise. She’s also a powerful voice for women. This world champion holds an impressive four Olympic gold medals and has championed a cause that’s important to her: raising awareness about the maternal mortality crisis affecting Black mothers in the United States.

2. Trischa Zorn

When we talk about inclusivity in sports, we’re talking about gender equality, an end to racism and opportunities for all bodies. Paralympian Trischa Zorn has taken home the gold for swimming a monumental 41 times. She’s also mentored military service members and inspired others to follow in her footsteps to compete in the sports they love.

3. Misty Copeland

You’re probably detecting a pattern. Female trailblazers in the sports world aren’t blazing just one trail: they’re making significant strides on and off the field. Misty Copeland, the first Black principal dancer in the American Ballet Theater, challenged racist conceptions around this sport. She continues to advocate for diversity, supporting young dancers from underrepresented communities.

4. Mia Hamm

Collectively, women of soccer are responsible for shattering many of the sports industry’s glass ceilings – and they’re not finished yet. The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team filed a gender-discrimination class-action lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation, which was settled in 2022 with an agreement to pay men and women an equal rate going forward. Women soccer players shatter records individually too. Mia Hamm became a household name in the ‘90s and early aughts with an impressive 158 goals in international games. She’s also founded two charitable organizations.

5. Diana Nyad

64-year-old swimming legend Diana Nyad recently took on an incredible challenge, proving ageism has no place in sports. She swam for two days straight from Cuba to Florida, a distance of 110 miles. She also bravely told her story in support of other survivors at the beginning of the #MeToo movement.

6. Simone Biles

Team USA gymnast Simone Biles co-holds the world record for the greatest number of Olympic medals in her sport (seven, to be exact) – all earned before age 25. Her talent is so inspiring that gymnastics moves have been named after her. She also courageously bowed out of events at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 to care for her mental health, reminding us that wellness comes first and challenging a long-held taboo in the industry.

The history of women in sports

We’ve come a long way, baby. But what exactly did the road look like? How did women go from “being allowed” to play only a handful of sports in the early 20th century to winning dozens of gold medals and earning their rightful seat at the table? Here’s a timeline of some of the most significant moments in women’s sporting history, many of them marred by backlash, including women being banned from particular sports:

• 1900: The first female athletes compete in the Olympic games.
• 1921: The first international women's sporting event, the Women’s Olympiad, takes place.
• 1943: The All-American Girls Softball League, which preceded the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, is founded.
• 1953: The first international women’s basketball championship is held.
• 1966: The first woman runs the Boston Marathon.
• 1972: Title IX is enacted, making it illegal to discriminate against women in federal education programs and activities, including sports.
• 1973: The Women’s Tennis Association is founded.
• 1991: FIFA holds the first Women’s World Cup for soccer.
• 1996: The Women’s National Basketball Association (the WNBA) is founded.

How you can support female athletes

The first step to supporting progress is opening your mind. As societies challenge gender norms and harmful, othering beliefs, you can advocate for underrepresented groups by remembering that no matter how much you already know, there’s always more to learn. You can support female sports by:

• Empowering the little MVPs in your own family. Encourage girls and young women to follow their dreams and get involved in the sports they want to try. Don’t limit your support to traditionally female sports like ballet, volleyball, and figure skating. Hype up your aspiring football or basketball player too. Help them join the ranks of the best female athletes of all time.
• Watching women’s sporting events on live TV and streaming platforms, which shows sponsors and broadcasters that the world wants to watch women compete.
• Sharing posts and stories on social media about the women’s sporting events you’re watching, whether world championships or amateur tournaments, and post about female athletes you admire.
• Listening to what female athletes have to say and supporting their activism in any way possible. If a particular cause calls to you, use your social media accounts to spread the word. Put a link in your bio to a website with more information. You’ll probably soon have a list of links to share, which you can consolidate into a single Linktree URL.