Women's Sports

We get a peek at the growing sport of women's wrestling:



I feel heartened after watching this. Women's wrestling is accepted now, and young female wrestlers are encouraged; things really are changing for the better. Body Bar Systems has done its part to help make this happen. I give the folks at Body Bar a big thumbs-up for their steadfast support of women's wrestling.

Gina talks about fitness, her career, and more during her photo shoot for Shape Magazine, seen in this promotional spot for her upcoming fight on CBS:

Kacy Stuart, like Jaime Nared, is, so it seems anyway, too good for her own good. Kacy, who is 14 and just starting her first year of high school, can kick 50-yard field goals (something many National Football League kickers struggle with). Despite having this hard-to-come-by skill, Kacy was dismissed from her school's football team because she is a girl (video story). Fortunately, Kacy's mother is fighting back; but she needs help. Please use the information posted at Because I Played Sports to contact the school and let them know that it is inexcusable to deny talented female athletes their dream, that is, to prevent them from doing what nature—or Providence if you will—gave them the drive and the ability to do.

Much has been written about Kacy's plight, but I think it is Kacy who sums up her situation (and that of many other female athletes) best: "People were built for different things. I'm built to be a kicker. I just don't understand why people don't accept the fact that I like football and I want to play football" (quoted by 11Alive).

I've talked many times, here and elsewhere, about how the formidable physical potential of women is beginning to manifest itself. Indeed, it's now obvious that women can do far more in the physical arena than previously conceded, and what is most frightening to reactionaries, women may soon be routinely competing with, even outperforming, men. Thus it is no surprise that some, disturbed by this emerging, ominous challenge to traditional gender ideals, are laboring to keep it in check—by edict if necessary. (Special thanks to Megan for bringing Jaime's story to my attention.)

Felice gives us an update on her fight career in this behind-the-scenes look at her photo shoot for the August 2008 issue of Black Belt Magazine:

Jenna's story is moving, and one of interest to boxing fans I'm sure. The St. Petersburg Times tells it with written word and multimedia slide show.

In March 2004, 1st Lt. Melissa Stockwell, USA, was deployed to Iraq. Not long after that, on April 13, she was leading a supply convoy through Baghdad when the Humvee she was riding in was hit by a roadside bomb. Melissa lost her left leg in that blast, the first female US soldier to lose a limb in Iraq.

But the bomb didn't damage her spirit, if anything it was made stronger. Since losing her leg, Melissa has taught herself again how to ski, become a prosthetist so she can help other wounded veterans, completed several marathons and triathlons, and set US Paralympic swimming records. Today, she is in Beijing getting ready to compete in the 2008 Paralympic Games. Melissa is the consummate female warrior-athlete.



TakePride—an organization supporting the troops through art, style, and story—has launched a T-shirt called Stronger in honor of Melissa. The shirt features an image of Melissa swimming and text that tells her inspiring story. A minimum of $5 from each sale of a Stronger shirt will go to the Wounded Warrior Project.





Stronger is available only at www.TakePride.com.

You can keep up with Melissa's adventures in Beijing by following her blog. We wish her the best.