Game-Changing Women in Sports

In 2012, the UFC announced that Rousey joined the league as its first female fighting superstar. She also became the first female fighter to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. Now, she's one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time.

The legendary athlete was a pioneer in women's golf, becoming the first woman to play in an all-male Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) tournament. With the longest winning streak in golf history, she won 14 golf tournaments in a row from 1946 to 1947. Zaharias is often labeled one of the greatest athletes of all time.

Despite the public outcry, Osaka continues to conquer the tennis world as an aggressive and powerful athlete. She became the first Japanese player to hold top rankings in professional tennis. Time magazine listed Osaka as one of the most influential people in the world in 2019.

The soccer legend once held the record for the most international goals scored by any man or woman. Although Hamm has retired from the sport, she continues to inspire young female athletes to follow their dreams and reach their goals.

Muhammad stays true to her faith and also breaks some cultural norms. Many people don't believe Muslim women can play sports, but Muhammad influences Muslim-American teens to become athletes and compete in the Olympics. Her story focuses on the importance of inclusiveness and representation.

Thankfully, Ledecká didn't listen to the doubters because she achieved the "impossible" and became a champion. The historic win inspired many skiers and snowboarders, making them believe there could be more than one path to success. Coaches also learned a lesson about empowering their athletes by supporting their choices.

The Korean American athlete is one of the most influential teens in the world. Kim's incredible record-breaking skills are inspirational, and her public thoughts about food are relatable. (If you don’t know what that means, just check out her hilarious tweets). Watch out because Kim is just getting started.

Biles is now the most decorated gymnast in the world, beating Belarusian Vitaly Scherbo's record of 23 world medals. In honor of Biles achievements, two gymnastic moves were named after her. She also has another major achievement — inspiring young gymnasts and athletes around the world to go for the gold.

In 2015, the American Ballet Theatre promoted Copeland to principal dancer, making her the first African-American female at the top of the ballet world. Her success proves that the industry should welcome girls of color and girls of all body types. She also inspires many people of color to work on fulfilling their dreams, no matter what anyone tells them.

Felix's major inspirations are her daughter and other mothers, and we certainly believe mothers and daughters from all over the world are inspired by her as well. The champion sprinter proves motherhood doesn’t prevent female athletes from being world champions. Felix notes the historic win was even more special because her daughter was in the stadium to witness it.

Rapinoe is no stranger to the spotlight. In fact, she's famous for both her incredible soccer skills and her activism. The soccer star is leading the team's fight for equal pay, and she also uses her platform to speak out against racism and homophobia.

With many achievements to her name, King is often called one of the greatest tennis players of all time. In other words, she is a legitimate legend. She made history as the first female athlete to win more than $100,000 in one season. King is also the founder of the Women's Tennis Association and the Women's Sports Foundation.

The basketball superstar is a huge inspiration to the youth, especially girls. Moore's Nike billboard — a replica of the iconic Michael Jordan "Wings" poster — broke the internet (not really, but it was huge) after a young girl took a photo in front of it. Moore happily met with her young fan and hopes the encounter will help the young girl feel excited and enthusiastic about women in sports.

Her most famous sponsor was GoDaddy, which made her a Super Bowl advertising regular and one of the world’s highest-paid female athletes. There's no doubt Patrick inspired girls to join a male-dominated sport, and more young girls are also visiting race tracks now to enjoy the fun.

Although Joyner-Kersee is a retired athlete, she still sits at the top of the heptathlon world. The legend holds the World Heptathlon record with an extraordinary 7,291 points. There's no question that her achievements inspire young female athletes in sports to become champions.

As a result, Spiranac took a break from golf to focus on changing the world. The athlete fights to end bullying, especially cyberbullying and online hate. She's challenging misconceptions about what a pro golf player looks like. Spiranac also has a message to all women: Don't change yourself to please other people.

Previously a World No. 1 ranked player, Nehwal has nabbed more than 24 international titles. She's also the first Indian badminton player to win an Olympic medal. Many fans regard her as one of the most successful Indian athletes of all time. Thanks to Nehwal, badminton has grown more popular in India.

Morgan's growing empire is all about girl power. She inspires young girls to change the face of soccer and be proud of "playing like a girl." Morgan and her team also advocate for respect and equal pay. The women's soccer team outperforms the men's team, yet still faces gender-based income equality.

In the current era of professional tennis, Williams has won 23 major singles titles — more than any man or woman. The Women's Tennis Association ranked her No. 1 in the world eight times. The legend continues to knock down the competition and inspire diversity in tennis.

As one of the world’s top female drivers, Chin proves she has excellent car control and that women belong in the sport. She surpasses the skills of some of the male drivers, and she feels great about it too. The drifting queen is also the brains behind viral prank videos, posing as a car sales agent or student driver to surprise unsuspecting passengers with her supreme motor skills.

In 2015, the Arizona Cardinals hired Welter as the assistant coaching intern, which made NFL history. Coaching isn't easy, and Welter didn't feel welcome as a coach until linebacker Lorenzo Alexander told a rookie to listen to her because she's an expert. Welter is definitely redefining the rules for becoming an NFL coach.

Fans admired her excited reaction and energy after nabbing the bronze medal. She taught the world an important lesson on honoring achievements — no matter how big or small. "Even though I didn't win first place today, I've already surpassed myself, and I am happy with that," Yuanhui said with a big smile.

In 2003, the PGA Tour invited Sörenstam to compete, which made her the first woman to play in the all-male tournament since Babe Zaharias in 1945. Fans sat with their eyes glued to their TV sets as Sörenstam competed. Her passion continues to excite young female players as they prepare to dominate the game.

Every time Kwan skated, all eyes were on her. The figure skating legend is famous for her amazing control and dramatic artistry on ice. The incredible role model has inspired many young girls over the years to take up the sport and go for their skating dreams.

In fact, Ledecky holds the world record for the women’s 400-meter and 800-meter freestyle. The bright young athlete has already accomplished a lot, but she wants more. The ambitious swimmer is known for setting unreasonable goals and then beating her own personal bests. Will she break her own world record?

The retired American athlete continues to inspire girls to become jockeys. In fact, she opened the Julie Krone Junior Jockey Camp in 2019 to share her passion and expertise. Girls often run up to Krone and say, "You inspired me so much. You let me know a girl could do it."

By age 16, she became the first female drafted by a Japanese men's professional baseball team. Eventually, she went on to play in several men’s professional baseball leagues in the U.S. She also had the opportunity to pitch in games in Canada. Even better, Yoshida trained with her baseball idol, Tim Wakefield, at the Boston Red Sox minor league training facility in 2010.

In 2008, the hockey superstar was inducted into the International Hockey Hall of Fame, followed by her induction into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009. Although she no longer plays hockey, her legacy as a powerhouse female athlete will live on forever.

The Hispanic athlete won 48 LPGA Tour events, including three major championships. Lopez has earned many highly respected titles, such as LPGA Tour Player of the Year and GWAA Female Player of the Year. Other golfers and fans widely regard her as one of the key reasons the LPGA boomed.

Hamilton lost her left arm as a result of the attack, but that didn't stop her from returning to the water. In fact, she courageously went back to professional surfing. With a lot of determination and strength, she has won eight competitions. Her story has inspired books and films, but most importantly, the world.

The speed skating champ has already been inducted into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame, the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame and the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame. After retirement, Blair continues to wow the world as a motivational speaker.