HOW OLYMPIC WOMEN ATHLETES ARE GIVING BACK

Female Athletes Honored at
38th Annual Salute to Women in Sports

On October 18, I walked into the swankiness that is Cipriani Wall Street with a list of Olympic women athletes to interview as they walked down the red carpet of the 38th Annual Salute to Women in Sports.  I ended up interviewing almost none of them, but what happened that night was even better than I expected.

Let me back up for a minute.  About a month prior to the event, a woman from an online female bike forum had tipped me off to The Women's Sports Foundation (WSF).  Their mission?  To create leaders by ensuring all girls access to sports.  When I found out that WSF would be dedicating  a whole night to honoring the top women athletes, I knew that I had to be there to cover the event for Creative Times.

When I learned that my request for a press pass to the event had been granted, I was excited beyond belief.  As someone who started watching the Olympics at the age of 6, and who champions female athletes throughout the year on my blog, on Facebook, and in live conversations with strangers and friends, I could not believe that I now had a chance to meet some of the most accomplished women athletes in person.  

After arriving at Cipriani, I was ushered to my spot where I would be interviewing the athletes who came down the carpet.  I came prepared with two questions:  "What advice do you have for girls or teens who want to get into sports but feel intimidated?" and "Who or what inspires you to keep going when the going gets tough?"

I first spoke with Charmaine Reid, a Canadian badminton player who is an Olympian, two-time World Champion, and three-time Pan American Games medalist.   As well, she is a  television commentator, ambassador, and motivational speaker.  Through her self-created program, S'Cool, Charmaine and sister Olympian Nicole Grethere conduct in-school badminton demonstrations and workshops to "inspire children to be active, to set goals, and to live their dreams and pursue a healthy lifestyle."  She estimates that she has reached 100,000 children through her work.

When I asked Charmaine about who inspires her, she spoke at length about WSF Founder Billie Jean King.  In her own work with children, it is Charmaine's intent to pass along Billie's message to get back up after you fail and continue to believe in yourself.

Next, I spoke with Suad Galow, a heroine who has coached the Somali Women's basketball team of young women, helped them to face threats of violence, and reclaim their spot on the international sports scene.  Her work is the subject of the upcoming documentary Rajada Dalka/Nation's Hope.

Suad's advice to girls or teens who want to get involved with sports: "Don't be intimidated.  Sports give you experience in teamwork and the opportunity to get to know other females.  Sports help you go get stronger, be creative, and help others." 

I then spoke with Laurie Hernandez, who was one of the Final Five on the gold medal-winning women's gymnastics team of the 2016 Olympics.  Her words of wisdom to young females wanting to get involved in athletics: "Block out what other people say and do what makes you happy."  When not training, Laurie leads gymnastics clinics for children. 

Next, I chatted with Alana Nichols, a Paralympic basketball player and Alpine skier, who had this to say to young females wanting to get involved in sports: "Take the first step. Go to the gym, take the class. The first steps will lead to the next steps." And Alana's thoughts about perservering when the going gets tough? "Make it about something bigger than yourself."  Alana does just that by giving motivational talks to young people and adults, including this TED talk, and by sharing images of her athleticism through her blog.

I felt incredibly inspired by each of the women I talked to - Charmaine, Suad, Laurie, and Alana, and also by some of the women I saw but did not get to interview, including Ibtihaj Muhammad, an American fencer who is the first Muslim American woman ito wear a hijab while competing for the United States in the Olympics.

Laurie Hernandez

What I admired by each of the women I talked to was not only her incredible accomplishments as an athlete, but how she had found a way to give back by inspiring, educating, and supporting children to stay active and go for their big dreams as well. 

Alana Nichols

Suad Galow

Charmaine Reid

SIX OF MY FAVES: MOVIES AND VIDEOS ABOUT FEMALE ATHLETES

I am a big fan of the Go for Your Dreams! genre of movies, especially if they feature female athletes. It is greatly inspiring to see female teens, young adults, and women take on big physical challenges in the face of sexism and racism.

Here are six of my faves (descriptions taken from the Internet).  Take a peak at each!

1. Bend It Like Beckham
"Jess Bhamra (Parminder Nagra), the daughter of a strict Indian couple (Anupam Kher, Shaheen Khan) in London, is not permitted to play organized soccer, even though she is 18. When Jess is playing for fun one day, her impressive skills are seen by Jules Paxton (Keira Knightley), who then convinces Jess to play for her semi-pro team. Jess uses elaborate excuses to hide her matches from her family while also dealing with her romantic feelings for her coach, Joe."



2. How She Move 
"Raya (Rutina Wesley), a gifted student and dancer at an elite academy, must return home and attend public school after her sister's drug-related death. She has a bitter rivalry with Michelle (Tré Armstrong),in which the two try to see which is the better dancer. Raya convinces Bishop to let her join his all-male dance troupe as they prepare for an upcoming competition."
 

3. Salute the Women of Team USA
"Little Mix’s 'Salute' is being used in a promo for team USA Olympics! This features some of the best female athletes in the world like Serena Williams, Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky, Missy Franklin, Allyson Felix, Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, Kerri Walsh Jennings, and the USWNT Soccer Team!"


4. A WHIRLWIND OF A DREAM: SHANAZE READE
"A short film on BMX Olympian - Shanaze Reade. Her life in her own words and her journey to both Beijing and London Olympics."


5. GRACIE
"Gracie Bowen (Carly Schroeder) is the only girl among her parents' four children. Her brothers and father (Dermot Mulroney) eat, breathe and sleep soccer, and practice the sport every day. When her beloved older brother, Johnny, is killed in a tragic accident, Gracie attempts to come to terms with her grief by petitioning the school board to let her take Johnny's place on the boys varsity soccer team."


6. WHIP IT
"Bliss Cavendar (Ellen Page) lives in small-town Texas and yearns to break free of her mother's (Marcia Gay Harden) world of beauty pageants and conformity. She sees her chance when she meets the Hurl Scouts, a roller-derby team; she tries out for the team and wins a slot, lying to her parents about her new hobby. Bliss finds friendship and freedom with her teammates, but a conflict between a championship game and the Bluebonnet beauty pageant threatens to spill her secret."