Did you know that the Olympic Games as we know them today started in 1896, but women were not allowed to participate until the year 1900? Historical facts such as these show how important it is to rebellious girls in sports and introduce them to girls and show them that they have just as much right as boys to play whatever sport they want.
U.S Tokyo Olympics skater Rayssa Leal, also known as Fadinha, became the youngest Brazilian athlete to participate in the competition. At just 13 years old at the time of the games, Rayssa inspired children around the world by winning the silver medal in the Female Street Skateboarding modality.
Rayssa’s example is proof of how fundamental identification is in encouraging children to play sports.
The importance of rebellious girls in children’s sports
In the case of girls, identification is even more important, because according to a study conducted with 400 children and published in Science MagazineFrom the age of 6, 30% of girls start to feel less intelligent and talented than boys.
For this reason, the history of rebellious girls in sports is so relevant to encourage the contact of the little ones with different sports.
After all, whether for boys or girls, for typical or atypical children, the childhood sports offers benefits that go well beyond encouraging a healthy routine. That’s because, while having fun with soccer, swimming, volleyball, judo, and other modalities, kids also improve their mental health, their social-emotional skills, and even socialize with other kids.
Discover the story of the rebellious girls in sports that will inspire children
Aida dos Santos
Aída dos Santos is one of the great names of Brazilian sport. Born in 1937, Aida is the youngest of six children and had a very difficult childhood. It was in sports that she discovered her talent and found the opportunity for a better future.
In the high jump mod, Aída was State, National, South American and Pan American Champion. In addition, at the 1964 Tokyo Games, she reached the historic milestone by becoming the first Brazilian woman to participate in an Olympic final.
Graduated in Physical Education, Geography and Pedagogy, Aída has taken her passion for sport beyond competition: after retiring as an athlete, she began dedicating herself to a project that encourages social inclusion through sport.
Anne Wafula Strike
Anne Wafula Strike is an inspiring sports rebel girl! Even after contracting polio when she was just two years old, she hasn’t stopped moving and exploring the world around her.
Born in Kenya, Anne became the first person in her family to go to university and that’s where her history with the sport began. One of the coaches from the university in the UK where she studied saw her ingenuity in moving around in a wheelchair and asked if she wanted to try it as a sprinter.
Since then, Anne has competed in several Paralympic Games and even won the bronze medal in one of the competitions she participated in. She has also become a great activist for the rights of people with disabilities.
Kathrine Switzer
Although she did not compete in the Olympics, Kathrine Switzer is a rebellious girl in the sport who made history by fighting and winning the right to participate in the Boston Marathon in 1967. She was the first woman to compete in the marathon which was only allowed for men at the time.
Whether marathon runner, journalist or writer, Kathrine has always fought for women’s rights in sport. In 1972, she was part of the committee that made women’s participation in the Boston Marathon official.
In 2015, Kathrine changed her fight for women’s equality in sport to 261 Fearless Foundationwhich empowers women from different countries around the world through running.
Larisa Latinina
For 52 years, Ukrainian gymnast Larissa Latynina has been the most medalist in Olympic competitions. This achievement is even more impressive, as Larisa has only participated in 3 editions of the Olympic Games.
It wasn’t until 2016 that American swimmer Michael Phelps surpassed Larisa’s mark and won 21 medals at the Olympics.
Before marking the history of the sport, Larisa faced many challenges, such as World War II. Although she was born in Ukraine, the gymnast represented Russia in Olympic competitions, and of the 18 medals she won for the country, 9 were gold.
Madame Saquic
Among the rebellious girls in the sport, Madame Saqui is a woman children should definitely know, as her example of dedication, courage and talent is a true inspiration to the little ones.
Born in France in the late 18th century, Madame Saqui had a dream: to become a tightrope walker so she could walk a tightrope. Since her father and family were not very supportive of her dream, Madame practiced this method in secret.
When she felt safe sharing her talent with her family, Madame Saqui left the whole family elated! They were so delighted that they decided to start a circus company so that Madame could perform and show her talent.
Of Madame Saqui’s exploits, the most daring step was crossing the towers of Notre Dame on a tightrope!
Maria Lenko
Maria Lenk went down in the history of the sport, as she was the first South American woman to participate in the Olympics. The Brazilian swimmer achieved this feat at just 17 years old when she competed in the 1932 Games, which took place in Los Angeles.
Maria turned out to be a real rebellious girl in the sport, because years later she broke world records in breaststroke and made butterfly swimming popular.
Her love of swimming pools made Maria Lenk the first woman to be inducted into the International Swimming Federation Hall of Fame. In Brazil, the swimmer’s legacy was honored in 2007 with the inauguration of the Maria Lenk Municipal Water Park in Rio de Janeiro.
Marta Vieira da Silva
Considered the best footballer in the world five times already, Marta Vieira da Silva is a rebellious girl in the sport who will inspire the little ones not to give up on their dreams.
Marta had always dreamed of playing soccer on a big team, but until that dream came true, she had to persevere because the boys wouldn’t allow her to join them in learning games when she was little.
Still, she trained alone, and at the age of 14 her talent was noticed: a very famous coach saw her potential and helped Marta become a great champion. Since then, the player has won several awards and has become the greatest goalscorer at the World Cup in the history of women’s football.
Nadia Comanecia
Gymnast Nadia Comaneci made her name in the history of the sport by becoming the first person to receive a ten in the Olympics in the artistic modality. This happened in 1976 when she was only 14 years old!
In addition, Nadia also won nine Olympic medals at the Games in which she participated, five of which were gold.
Born in Romania, Nadia wanted to be much more than just a gymnast, she also wanted to be free. To gain freedom and escape from the dictatorship in her country, she walked through a forest at night.
Rayssa Leal
Rayssa Leal, also known as Fadinha, is a rebellious girl in the sport who entered the history of Brazilian skateboarding when she won the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics when she was only 13 years old.
In addition to Letícia Bufoni, another big name in Brazilian skateboarding, Rayssa has inspired thousands of children in Brazil and around the world to venture into the sporting world.
In addition to skateboarding, Fadinha is also successful in your profile on instagram, where he already has more than six and a half million followers. Among her publications, Rayssa shares her school routine, competitions and family moments.
Serena and Venus Williams
Sisters Serena and Venus Williams are two rebellious girls who changed the world of sports. The tennis players, who started training with their father at an early age, won several medals at the Olympics and also at the Grand Slams tennis tournaments.
Both Serena, who is considered the number one in the world, and Venus had to overcome many challenges on and off the field to achieve their dreams.
Released in 2021, the movie King Richard: Creating Championstells the incredible story of the Williams family in tennis, and also shows how Richard Williams, father of Serena and Venus, encouraged his daughters and fought to conquer the world with his talent.
Sport and empowerment by reading
Whether it’s showing girls the infinite possibilities they have in sport, or introducing boys to inspiring examples of women full of talent and courage, knowing the stories of rebellious girls in sport is extremely important for families who want to empower and educate their children. equivalence.
In this journey of education, empowerment and development of children, children’s books are incredible windows to provide discovery and learning through play and imagination.
in the custom book “Rebels in Sports” girls and boys will star in an unforgettable story that will help them learn that their place in the sport is wherever they want, in addition to presenting examples of inspiring women who have won with great talent, dedication and courage in different sports.
To customize your little one’s avatar and get this story at home with a special discount, just click here. If you want to receive these and other powerful books every month along with a super reading pack, just access here to know the plans of the Inside History Club.
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