I grew up watching the Olympics a lot as a child.
I remember women like Tanya Harding, Nancy Kerrigan, Tara Lipinski, Dominique Dawes, Michelle Kwan, Shannon Miller, Dominque Moceanu, Mia Hamm, Serena and Venus Williams, Marion Jones, and Jackie Joyner-Kersee winning medals for their athleticism and sportsmanship. They were inspiring and breathtaking. All these women regardless of race and color were extraordinary in their own right. This was over 15 years ago. And as more women of color have dominated the world of sports, women still prove to be extraordinary.
But as we end Black History Month and we enter the beginning of Women’s History month, women are still not recognized or valued in sports. And Simone Biles points this out in her disgust of ESPN’s SportsCenter releasing of an image of all-male GOAT athletes on Twitter. The image highlighted all men that are considered to be the greatest of all time. With a small sketch of a woman in the background that looks like Serena William if you look closely. After the criticism and feedback, the image was removed from ESPN’s Twitter account.
As if winning championships, world cups, Olympic medals, making history, and breaking records don’t scream G.O.A.T at all. So, what story does it tell? It says with all the progress women have made throughout history and collectively as a society, women are still seen as secondary to men when it comes to our accomplishments and success. Women are still not seen, heard, or represented equally. We are still in competition with men regardless of the arena.
And it’s honestly, a slap in the face as women work just as hard as male athletes. There shouldn’t be a divide in the level of training, commitment, and discipline required of any athlete. But there is, and I am not sure when this divide will diminish. It’s wildly insane that we as women are still having to prove our worth to society. Didn’t we just prove it by voting the first woman ever to be Vice President of the United States? This should say enough.
This month celebrate the accomplishments women have made in the world of sports to date. Celebrate the contributions and celebrate the “firsts”, knowing it won’t be the last.
In 2021, celebrate our female athletes.
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