Whip Six Womens Active Running, Triathlon, Cyclist Apparel

It wasn’t even 100 years ago that women received the right to vote.

95 years….

That’s it!

It was only in the 60s that legislature passed allowing us credit. As in credit cards. Can you believe that crap?

We’ve come a long way over the years! And I’m proud to be a women in this age when we feel as if we {almost} have equal rights and opportunities.

Many of those opportunities we take for granted:

• The ability to sweat doing an activity that we’re passionate about. Likely it was something that was a “man’s thing” before
• The ability to dream of being an athlete and then actually become one!
• The ability to wear workout clothes that are comfortable, light and reveals as much as the wearer wants.
• The ability to workout in a gym with weights beside anyone else. No discrimination (well, see below).

We’ve come a long way from being stuck in the home with a dress and apron watching the kids and cooking dinner. There is nothing wrong with those duties, however they no longer define us as a race.

We have the freedom to be strong, and being called a “strong” “independent” woman is a compliment. These “strong” women used to be considered feminists and bitches. Now, we’re looked up to and hope to continue making strides.

But to do that, history can’t be forgotten and I want to share the top women, in my opinion, that have made a huge impact on our abilities to get our sweat on. These women have paved the way for you to be able to sign up for your races, lift your weights, and play your sports.

Too often history gets lost in text books. And sometimes, it doesn’t even make it that far.

The Women That Have Made Our Fitness Goals Possible

Have you ever seen these pictures of Marilyn Monroe?

Yes, that would be the Hollywood starlet bench pressing.

In 1952, LIFE magazine did a photoshoot of the actress for the cover and she was asked to take some candid shots of her workouts. <— People have always been curious as to what the stars did/do to look so fabulous.

She grabbed her barbell and dumbbells and started pumping out reps in a bikini top and carpenter jeans.

Original #badass.

This was not typical and in fact these pictures were almost all but lost. This was the cover:

At the time, pictures of lifting barbells and dumbbells were not the image they wanted to spread to women at the time.

However, now these pictures are just what we need. Strength isn’t something we’ve just developed. We’ve had it in us all along, it’s only been in the past 20-30 years that we’ve actually been able to show it with pride!

Thank you for making it now only okay to lift the way we want, but to do it looking sexy too!

Thank you Marilyn!

Before the 1970s there were 2 strict rules…

1. Men and women were not allowed to compete in the same race.
2. Women were not allowed to run anything farther than 1.5 miles.

Our fragile bodies just simply couldn’t handle anything longer… or some shit like that. Excuse my language in my post, this is something that I am very passionate about and I will not try to cover that up.

Here’s a fun fact for you… In ancient Greece, if a woman was caught even watching the marathon, she could be executed. Insane I tell you!

In 1966 Roberta Gibb hid behind a bush at the start of the Boston marathon and was the first women to run the course (with an amazing time of 3:21:25).

While impressive and definitely a role model, Kathrine Switzer is the one responsible for setting it up for you and I to be able to run whatever race we want.

I thank this woman for my right to have signed up and participated in the 50K race last weekend.

Kathrine registered for Boston in 1967 under her initials, K.V. Switzer. Her coach delivered a health certificate to the race officials and picked up her number. It was only 2 miles into the race that race officials realized that K.V was a Katherine and not a Keith, Kenny, or whatever other “K” male name they thought.

But it was too late and her running mates protected her as race officials tried to remove her from the course, or at least remove her bib. They weren’t able and she crossed after 4:20. Gibb also ran that year but was pushed off the course right before the finish.

Kathrine’s pictures in the paper brought distance running for women into the news and the wheels started to turn.

Kathrine began fighting for women rights in sports and the Olympics and even became president of Women’s Sports Foundation. She partnered with Avon to bring about the first women’s only marathon and continued to work hard until finally, in 1984 women were allowed to run the marathon in the Olympics.

It’s more than just about running 26.2 miles.

It’s about showing that our bodies aren’t weak and that we are able to accomplish amazing things. Will we ever be as fast as a man or as strong? No, we don’t have the same build and men will ALWAYS have more muscle mass. That’s genes.

But we are capable of finishing and being competitors. And can run the same races as men.

Source

Billie Jean King is the inspiration for this entire post.

On a flight from Boulder, I passed the hours with a new to me documentary, “Battle Of The Sexes”.

It was so moving and inspirational that I have since told all of my friends they NEED to watch this move.

This should be a movie that all women are required to watch as a way to see the challenges we’ve faced in the not so distant past and how far we’ve come.

Billie Jean King is perhaps the most influential female athlete of all time. Don’t agree? Watch the movie.

Her training was intense and criticized. Her body strong and muscular, also criticized.

But she was a champion. And she wasn’t going to let stereotypes hold her back from being the best champion she could be.

She is my new role model, and I don’t even like tennis!

Did you know that tennis is the only sport where women win the same amount of money as men in tournaments?

It’s true. And it’s because of this woman.

King also participated in the what should be infamous tournament against Bobbie Riggs. Riggs, an older Wimbledon winner was known as a sexist pig (he even called himself one, so I don’t feel bad using the term here).

He made the bold expression that men are always physically superior to women and that even though he was retired, he would always be able to beat a woman.

Busy with more important issues at the time (fighting for women’s equality in sports), King tried to ignore his pleads for a challenge. Eventually, she broke down and agreed.

She beat him.

It was beautiful.

Women cheered, men cheered, and our sex grew just a little bit stronger.

But that’s not it.

King also formed the Women’s Tennis Association. At the time she was the #1 player in the world and used her power when she threatened to boycott the US Open if equal pay was not addressed. The 1973 US Open was the first major sporting event to have equal payouts for men and women winners.

Ms King set an example for women and young girls everywhere… it doesn’t matter if you have a vagina or a penis, you can do amazing things. Don’t let anyone ever tell you that you’re inferior due to your sex. Push for big things, and big things can happen!

The List Could Continue

I realize that this list could go on and on in regards to women that have allowed us the rights we have today. And perhaps this will become a series highlighting those ladies.

Thoughts?

I would love to start highlighting influential women TODAY, every day women like you and me that push aside the barriers to be the best you possible.

And though our rights as women are great, and need to be celebrated, we still have some ways to go.

Here are a couple things I would like to see changed…

1. No more “women’s weight areas in gyms. Why do some places have this? Having a separate room makes intimidation remain. Instead, get rid of them and force everyone to workout together. Women won’t stop working out, but they will push initiation aside and evolve to be comfortable. We are able to mold to what we have!
2. Colored weights. Really? Do we need pink dumbbells? No. It’s so 80s. Forget the rubber coverings and let’s all start using steel weights.

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