Millions of women and girls participate in sports today, from Little League and Pee-Wee all the way up to the pros. They walked through the doors that had been forced open by the trailblazers and pioneers who came before them. Less than 100 years ago, women weren’t just fighting for inclusion, they were fighting for the basic recognition that women can be elite athletes.
These 10 women used their talent as a battering ram to break barriers and shatter expectations. Their accomplishments forced society to question their preconceived notions of how women should look, act, and do with their lives.