These are the women who were, and are, sports stars. Whether they competed in the Olympics/Paralympics or were just outstanding in their respective games, here are the ladies who talked the talk and walked the walk.
They are separated by the sport or activity they are most known for. Dancers are located under the Women in the Arts tab under the main categories page.
Entries:
Airplane/Balloon Pilot:
- Amelia Earhart, pilot who broke gender norms all day long
- Bessie Coleman, the First African American and Native American Female Pilot
- Dorothy Pressler Morgan, Stunt Pilot who was Faced with Sexist Setbacks
- Elaine Harmon, World War II Pilot
- Harriet Quimby, The First United States Woman to Earn Her Pilot's License
- Lydia Litvyak, World War II Combat Pilot
- Marie Marvingt, the First Woman to Fly Combat Missions in the World (during World War I)
- Marina Raskova, Pioneering Pilot and Navigator
- Nadezhda Popova, Night Witch and Flight Instructor
- Ruth Law Oliver, Pioneering Aviatrix
- Sophie Blanchard, The First Professional Female Balloonist
Basketball:
- Nancy Lieberman, The First Woman to Coach a Men's Professional Sports Team
Baseball:
- Claire Schillace Donahoe, All-American Girls' Professional Baseball League Player
- Dottie Ferguson Key, All-American Girls' Professional Baseball League Player
- Dottie Kamenshek, All-American Girls' Professional Baseball League Player
- Faye Dancer, All-American Girls' Professional Baseball League Player
- Jackie Mitchell, At the Age of Seventeen She Struck Out Babe Ruth & Lou Gehrig
- Joanne Winter, AAGPBL and Golf Player
- Lizzie Arlington, The First Woman to Play on a Men's Professional Baseball Team
- Toni Palermo, All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Player
Bicyclist:
- Annie K Londonderry, The First Woman to Bicycle Around the World
Boxing:
- Claressa Shields, Professional Boxer and MMA Fighter
- Laili Ali, Retired Professional Boxer
Fitness Trainer:
- Jillian Michaels, Fitness Trainer and So Much More
Football:
- Sarah Thomas, Technically Not a Player, but She is the First Woman to Officiate Multiple NFL Games
Golfing:
- Babe Didrikson Zaharias, One of the Greatest Athletes to Ever Live
- Margaret Abbott, The First US Woman to Win Gold at the Olympics
- Natalie Gulbis, Professional Golfer
Gymnastics:
- Laurie Hernandez, Olympic Gold Medalist in Artistic Gymnastics
Hockey:
- Manon Rheaume, The First Woman to Work as a Goalie on a Professional Hockey Team (Ice Hockey)
- Rahat Khan, Field Hockey Player (The Hockey Queen of Pakistan)
Horse Sports (Jockeying, Bronc Riding, Etc):
- Cynisca, Breeder and the First Woman to Win at the Olympic Games
- Fannie Sperry Steele, Bronc Rider and Rodeo Performer
- Julie Krone, The First Female Horse Jockey to Win the Triple Crown
- Lucille Mulhall, Rodeo and Wild West Show Performer
Jiu-Jitsu:
- Edith Garrud, The Original Teacher of Suffrajitsu
Judo:
- Rusty Kanokogi, Mother of Women's Judo
Lacrosse:
- Yeardley Love, Lacrosse Player
Mountaineer:
- Barbara Washburn, the First Woman to Climb Mt. Denali
- Junko Tabei, the First Woman to Climb Mt. Everest
Racecar Driving/Motorcycle Racing:
- Bessie Stringfield, Pioneering Motorcyclist
- Danica Patrick, retired indycar driver
- Janet Guthrie, the first woman to compete in both Indianapolis 500 and Daytona 500
- Marie Claude Beaumont, Le Mans race car driver
- Odette Siko, the first woman to ever race at Le Mans
Running/Track & Field/ Wheelchair Racing:
- Alice Coachman, The First African American Woman to Earn a Gold Medal at the Olympics
- Kathrine Switzer, The First Woman to Run the Boston Marathon
- Stella Walsh, Olympic Track and Field Athlete
- Tatyana McFadden, Paralympic Wheelchair Racer
Shooting:
- Chandro Tomar, The Oldest Female Sharpshooter in the World at the Time of Her Death
- McKenna Dahl, Paralympian Rifle Shooter
- Nur Suryani Mohd Taibi, Olympic Rifle Shooter Who Competed While Eight Months Pregnant
- Phoebe Ann Moses, but you know her as Annie Oakley
Soccer (Or Football to the Rest of the World):
- Lauren Holiday, Retired Olympic Soccer Player
Swimming:
- Casey Legler, Olympic Swimmer
- Gertrude Ederle, the First Woman to Swim the English Channel
Tennis:
- Althea Gibson, The First Person of African American Descent to Win a Grand Slam Title
- Charlotte Cooper Sterry, Tennis Player and Olympic Athlete Who Won Five Wimbledon Titles
Volleyball:
- Misty May-Treanor, Retired Professional Volleyball Player
Wrestling:
Special Recognition:
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Creator of the Special Olympics and Longtime Friend of Athletic Competitions