“The triumph can’t be had without the struggle. And I know what
struggle is. I have spent a lifetime trying to share what it has meant
to be a woman first in the world of sports so that other young women
have a chance to reach their dreams.”
~Wilma Rudolph, Athlete, Olympic Medalist and Women’s
Sports Ambassador, 1940-1994
For the past several months, I have spent a lot of time studying and photographing competitive athletes. From body builders and strongmen to jockeys and bull riders, I’ve made it a point to get up close and personal with a whole host of extreme athletes from a wide variety of non-traditional sports. But the funny thing is, the more time I spend watching, interviewing and photographing these remarkable athletes, the more I come to understand that the story is incomplete, at best, if female competitors are not included in the mix.
This photograph was taken of an Olympic-hopeful Powerlifter. What struck me as important about this photo is the reality that women from all walks of life continue to blaze new trails–much like Wilma Rudolph did in the 50’s and 60’s–so that the next generation of women can be free to chase their dreams and aspirations without having to make excuses for how they spend their time.
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