Babe Didrikson Zaharias: The Most Outstanding Woman Athlete

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Babe Didrikson Zaharias Athletic. Marvelous. Competitive. Hard-Working. All of these words can be used to describe this wonderful athlete. Though Babe isn’t the only outstanding woman athlete, she really was the first one to break the stereotype that only men can break records and be in the hall of fame. She paved the way for athletes like Lisa Leslie and Ronda Rousey to work their way to the top. Babe was good at everything she played, but excelled best at basketball, track-and-field and golf. On June 26, 1911 in Port Arthur, Texas Babe Zaharias, born Mildred Ella Didrecksen was born. Her parents’ names are Hannah Marie Olson and Ole Didreckson. Her home was hit by a hurricane when she was just four years old and her and her six siblings moved 17 miles inland to Beaumont, Texas. Both of her parents were athletic so it wasn’t a surprise when Babe grew up excelling in all sports she played. Speaking of sports, she got her nickname “Babe” by hitting five home runs in a childhood game. When she went to high school, she started basketball. By the age of 15 she was the highest scoring forward at her Beaumont Senior High School. She …show more content…

There was a National Women’s AAU meet in 1931. She placed first in eight events and second in a ninth. Then in 1931, she won the meet scoring 30 points, 8 more points than a team of 30! Then she went to the Olympics. Women were only allowed to enter three events, but Babe isn’t any ordinary women. She broke four world records. She won the javelin throw with 143 feet and 3 inches. Won the 80-meter hurdles where she broke the record twice, her best time was 11.7 seconds. She also won the high jump but her jump was disallowed and was awarded second. The jump was disallowed because her head went over the pole before her body which, back then, was not allowed. However, that type of jump is now allowed. So if that rule was updated earlier, she would have won first in that event

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