Heart of the Story
Donna de Varona
Donna de Varona was the youngest athlete on the 1960 olympic swim team at thirteen years old. In the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games, she won two gold medals. After her years of competing in the olympics, her swimming days were over. There were no scholarships offered to any female athletes. Her arms became so muscular, that to school she only wore long sleeve shirts. "I really wanted to look feminine," she said because it was not accepted at this time for women to look muscular. Donna's first passion was actually baseball, but she was not able to continue playing past Little League because she was a girl.
This is Donna de Varona 2 years after she competed in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. She is 15 in this.
Donna de Varona - Sports Illustrated 1962
Wyomia Tyus
Wyomia Tyus was the first person to ever win two consecutive gold medals in the olympics in 1968. She accomplished this even before any man did. Wyomia went unrecognized because she is a black woman. When she was asked about the press after she had accomplished this, she said, "No one cared about female athletes in 1968."
Wyomia was never recognized not only because she is a women, but also because she is black. When she was an athlete, Civil Rights were struggling still.
Wyomia Tyus in 1968
Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King was a co-founder of the Women's Sports Foundation along with Donna de Varona. Billie was the top tennis player in the world for six years (1966-1968, 1971. 1972, and 1974). She was idolized by young girls, and volunteered her time to help other female athletes achieve their dreams in athletics. This was until 1981 when she came out as lesbian, and lost all of her endorsement deals.
This is Billie Jean King in 1972 when she made the Sports Illustrated magazine cover. This was after she was announced the best tennis player in the world.