Female Athletes

Strongwoman competitions test the strength and endurance of competitors with several demanding events, perhaps none more arduous than the Farmer's Walk. Better, though, to show you how it works than try to describe it, and who better to do that than Aneta Florczyk, the World's Strongest Woman? Watch as Aneta sets a record by carrying 154 lb (70 kg) in each hand for nearly 1/10 of a mile (150 m):

Now that the long political season is over, and the flock—or the gang, depending on how you choose to view it—has its new leaders, we can instead focus on what happens when someone goes about doing good in the world without waiting for direction or worrying about what others are doing or not doing. What follows is a promotional spot for HALO (Helping Art Liberate Orphans), the foundation started by former taekwondo champion and Rigged star Rebecca Neuenswander:



I hope you didn't give all your money away to politicians and can join me in making a donation to HALO.

A piece by Anna Kessel posted at guardian.co.uk talks about the high incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and other injuries experienced by female athletes. Some are calling this an epidemic. That is most likely hyperbole, but the problem is real. The solution, however, may not be difficult or complicated. For instance, strength training, especially if started at an early age (i.e., under 15), would prevent many if not most of these injuries. The first two risk factors listed at the end of Kessel's piece make this clear:

Adolescence After puberty, risk increases by between two and eight times. While men's muscles gain power, women's become more flexible - this is dangerous without sufficient muscle to keep joints stable.

Ligament dominance Without strong muscle development, women compensate using ligaments to absorb force on the knee.

So do the results when strength training is put into practice along with other measures:

Strength and conditioning programmes have helped White [England and Arsenal defender Faye White], and the England team doctor, Pippa Bennett, believes increased preventative measures in the under-15s through to the senior side are bringing the casualties down. 'You've only got to look at the results of our agility tests to see the improvements,' Dr Bennett says. 'We did that test on the senior team five years ago and we were concerned by the movement patterns being at risk with quite a few of them, but with the strength and conditioning that's all changed. They are fitter for their sport, they learn about the alignment of knee joints and how to move safely.'

Parents and coaches, then, greatly benefit young athletic girls when they encourage them to start training with weights early on. And let us put to rest the silly idea that a girl is somehow remaking herself into a boy when she builds up her muscles; having a strong, healthy body is not the exclusive privilege of boys.

Strength training makes female athletes better athletes (no matter the sport). More important, it makes them less prone to serious injury.

Women's MMA entered a state of limbo last week when EliteXC folded. That organization—with the help of Gina Carano, the sport's biggest female star—produced the first viable women's division. But now women's MMA must find a new home. Ideally, that would be in the UFC, an organization that hasn't shown much interest in it. Michael Rome says on Bloody Elbow that it is time for the UFC to reconsider. I suspect the UFC is looking at this, perhaps other organizations, too. Time will tell.

Because I Played Sports (via SportingNews.com) informs us that Kacy Stuart has been cleared to play on her school's football team.

Before Title IX, before cable and satellite television, before the Internet, young boys and girls went to the circus and sat awestruck as they watched well-muscled women perform extraordinary feats of strength and stamina high in the air. The circus was one of the few places you could see athletic women in their element then, but by the time Vicki Unus (aka La Toria), the star of this clip, began her career in the early 1960s, there had already been a long tradition of great female aerialists:

The Women's Sports Foundation held its Annual Salute to Women in Sports Tuesday night in New York City. The event raised more than $1 million that will be used for "grants and educational and advocacy-related programming." Star female athletes of course attended in abundance, more than 70 of them. Gina Carano was there, and her experience shows us that we still have much work to do before female athletes will get the recognition they deserve, especially when it comes to combat and strength sports.

This Columbus Day (Monday, October 13) Jennie Finch, Jessica Mendoza, and the rest of the USA Softball Team will be at the Sports Museum of America in New York City. Former WNBA star Kym Hampton of the New York Liberty will be there as well. More details can be found here.

uBid.com is hosting a charity auction that gives you the opportunity to win a hitting session with Martina Navratilova. Proceeds benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Atlanta AIDS Partnership Fund.

E! Online story

Television offers up a feast for sports fans this weekend: WNBA finals tonight and Sunday, and Gina Carano vs. Kelly Kobold Saturday night.

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.

Dancing with the Stars does a good job featuring female athletes. Most seasons at least one of the stars is a female athlete, and they generally do well—Kristi Yamaguchi, for example, is the reigning champion. The new season of DWTS got under way last night, and Misty May-Treanor looks to be off to a good start (and no doubt has the best guns on the show):

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).