Search Weight Loss Topics:




Mar 27

A celebration of female fitness – Palm Beach Post

Fitness Comments Off on A celebration of female fitness – Palm Beach Post

Womens History Month may be coming to a close Friday but the celebration will certainly extend into April for the Boston Marathon.

Thats because this years April 17 race scheduled as it always is on Patriots Day will mark the 50th anniversary of Kathrine Switzer being the first officially registered woman to compete in the event (unregistered female runner Bobbi Gibb participating as a bandit ran in the 1966-68 races).

What made Switzers open participation in the race so seminal is that, at the time, women were not allowed to enter the Boston Marathon. When race director John Jock Semple unsuccessfully tried to physically remove her from the course and was blocked from doing so by Switzers burly boyfriend Tom Miller the iconic images appeared in newspapers worldwide.

And thus the era of female distance running was born.

By 1972, Boston Marathon officials relented to growing public pressure, opening the race to both sexes.

And in three weeks, the 70-year-old Switzer who was named Female Runner of the Decade (1967-77) by Runners World Magazine and went on to become an acclaimed TV commentator, public speaker and author will show that there are no hard feelings. Shell celebrate the anniversary by serving as the honorary starter for the elite womens race, then will lace up her running shoes and traverse those legendary 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston.

Yes, female participation in sports and fitness has come a long way in the last 50 years and 2017 marks the anniversary of a few other major milestones. Among them:

40th anniversary of the sports bra

Until recreational jogger Lisa Lindahl designed the jockbra which later became the jogbra and evolved into todays sports bra women of all ages had no options for proper support while training or competing. Lindahls 1977 invention was a game-changer and is now must-have apparel for every woman who strives to be active.

30th anniversary of Navratilovas last U.S. Open title

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova won the final of her four U.S. Open singles championships in 1987. And sure, the Czech leftys aggressive style of play helped transform womens tennis. But perhaps even more impactful was Navratilovas approach to fitness.

She performed agility drills.

And she made it acceptable some would even argue preferable for female athletes to be powerful and muscular.

20th anniversary of the WNBA

If you were an NBA fan in 1997 when Michael Jordan was winning the fifth of his six championships you couldnt escape those ubiquitous We got next TV commercials promoting the inaugural WNBA season.

Building on the popularity of the 1996 gold-medal-winning U.S. Olympic Womens Basketball Team, the league which was subsidized by the NBA offered the nations top female collegiate hoopsters their first opportunity to earn a professional living stateside.

10th anniversary of equal prize money at Wimbledon

Part-time Palm Beach County residents Venus and Serena Williams are transformative figures. And their influence transcends mere sport. Theyve both spurred racial, cultural and equality changes that will be felt for generations to come.

An example of the latter: Venus spent a good decade relentlessly advocating for women to receive equal prize money as their male counterparts.

In 2007, the stodgy old All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club which, of course, hosts Wimbledon finally acquiesced.

Making their decision even sweeter for Venus: She won the fourth of her five Wimbledon titles that year.

Link:
A celebration of female fitness - Palm Beach Post

Related Posts

    Your Full Name

    Your Email

    Your Phone Number

    Select your age (30+ only)

    Select Your US State

    Program Choice

    Confirm over 30 years old

    Yes

    Confirm that you resident in USA

    Yes

    This is a Serious Inquiry

    Yes

    Message:



    matomo tracker