Lottie Dod left competes in archery at the 1908 Olympics in London The pioneers in women's sports created the opportunity for today's athletes to be successful Two female athletes in particular led the way for women in sports Charlotte Lottie Dod and Mildred Babe Didrikson were excelling in athletic feats even
ANNIKA SÖRENSTAM Annika Sörenstam became the first woman to follow in Didrikson Zaharias's footsteps when she competed in the Professional Golfers Association PGA Tour's 2003 Colonial Invitational Didrikson Zaharias had competed in the 1945 Los Angeles Open Sörenstam followed Didrikson Zaharias in other ways The Swedish golf star was named the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year in 2003 2004 and 2005 Didrikson Zaharias is the only other golfer to win the honor three years in a row before women had many rights Dod and Didrikson were athletic and versatile Dod first made her mark in tennis In 1887 at age 15 she won the Wimbledon's Ladies Singles championship She later became the British National Golf champion and won a silver medal in archery in the 1908 Olympic Games Didrikson followed Dod's footsteps She played baseball and basketball growing up but gained worldwide fame as a US Olympic track star In 1932 she won gold medals in the javelin throw and 80 meter hurdles She added a silver medal in the high jump
Didrikson who Gertrude Ederle became the first changed her name after woman and only the fifth person marrying professional ever to swim across the English Channel Ederle was just 19 years wrestler George Zaharias old in 1926 when she completed later turned her attention the 21 mile 34 km journey from to golf Didrikson Zaharias France to England in 14 hours 31 minutes Her time broke the competed against men in previous record by more than PGA events and became 2 hours the first woman to make the cut in one Along with promoter Fred Corcoran and fellow golfer Patty Berg Didrikson Zaharias founded the Ladies Professional Golf Association LPGA The Associated Press named Didrikson Zaharias the greatest female athlete of the first half of the 20th century She and Dod were among the first to introduce the world to the athletic potential of women In many ways these pioneers and so many others set the bar for athletes such as Mo ne who took advantage of opportunities they created for women in sports Babe Didrikson pitches for a minor league baseball team in a spring training game in 1934
