Some women are not just going to shut up. They will rise up to the occasion and prove every naysayer wrong. In this list, I will talk about such women. Women who have achieved everything they wanted to. Welcome to my article about
30+ Most Famous Women Athletes Of All Time
The sporting community is full of powerful women who have broken records, set new ones, and even changed the whole nature of the game. Still, people tend to remember the men. It is time that we change the narrative and look at some of the most iconic and famous women athletes who are trailblazers in their own right.
Before I start off, let me clarify that this list is not a ranking list. In fact, it is an informative list that is meant to celebrate some of the best female athletes of all time. So do not get upset if you find your favorite athlete holding a certain spot.
With that note, let us dive right in.
Billie Jean King
There were athletes, and then there was Billie Jean King. King was one of the most iconic tennis players of all time. She singlehandedly shaped the game of tennis. Her match against Bobby Riggs is a true testament to her talent and tenacity to prove people wrong.
Serena Williams
Following King’s suit is none other than Serena Williams. Williams is one of the most legendary tennis players of recent times. As of now, Williams has won 23 Grand Slam titles, 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, and 4 Olympic gold medals. A true Queen.
Junko Tabei
Mountaineering is not just a hobby. It is a full-fledged sport that can be fatal. However, that did not stop Junko Tabei from taking on that challenge. Tabei was one of the first women to summit Mount Everest back in 1975. She truly inspired generations of women to do the impossible.
Florence Griffith Joyner (FloJo)
Florence Griffith Joyner, or FloJo, was an iconic American Sprinter who broke the track with impeccable speed and some really zany style statements. FloJo was all about breaking stereotypes and setting newer rules. She not only broke the women’s sprinting record, but she also managed to break several men’s records as well.
Pat Summitt
No other female coach managed to leave a bigger impression than Pat Summit. She was the epitome of leadership. She was fierce yet kind and wanted to lead by example. As a result, she became one of the biggest and most prominent female basketball coaches of all time.
Trischa Zorn
No other Paralympian holds the record number of 55 medals, out of which 41 are gold. This is the legacy of Trisha Zorn. She is easily one of the greatest Paralympian swimmers of all time. Even though Zorn is blind by birth, she is gifted with amazing talent that has made her one of the most iconic Paralympians of all time.
Alex Morgan
No other female soccer player can reach the magnanimity and greatness of Alex Morgan. Morgan is one of the most celebrated soccer players of recent years. However, critics seem to believe that her celebrations were a little problematic. But that never stopped her from becoming one of the most famous women athletes of all time.
Dara Torres
Dara Torres was popularly known as the Mermaid or Swimming Goddess due to her impeccable swimming skills. This former world record holder was one of the first american female swimmers to feature in five different Olympic Games. Torressnis is the oldest swimmer to bring home a medal.
Nadia Comaneci
Nadia Comaneci was the second name for perfection. This Romanian gymnast scored a perfect 10 back when she was just 14. Hence, she was an inspiration for generations to come. The best part is that she did not achieve this number once. Nadia managed to score a perfect ten a total of seven times in her career.
Babe Didrikson Zaharias
Babe Didrikson Zaharias managed to become one of the greatest golf players at a time when women were not encouraged to take part in sports. As a result, she received a lot of flak initially. However, she stood strong and went on to become one of the best and most celebrated female golfers of all time.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Joyner was a trailblazer as she managed to do the impossible. She managed to win six Olympic medals. Hence, she is often considered to be one of the greatest track and field stars of all time. As of now, she has managed to score a total of 7,000 points in several heptathlon. Therefore, she deserves to be on our list of some of the most famous women athletes of all time.
Misty Copeland
Ballet might seem like all fun and games. But try to follow the rigorous regime of these dancers once, and you will note that this is as difficult as playing a sport. However, Misty Copeland can make it seem like a piece of cake. She is one of the first African American primary dancers in the American ballet theatre.
Mia Hamm
Mia Hamm walked so that the likes of Rapinoe and Morgan could run. Hamm was one of the first-ever female soccer stars of her time. Back in the day, Hamm was often called a goal-scoring machine. Hamm scored a total of 158 goals throughout her professional career. A truly phenomenal feat, to say the least.
Gertrude Ederle
Gertrude Erderle’s story is that of perseverance. She is one of the select few who actually managed to swim across the choppy and cold waters of the English Channel. Furthermore, she recorded one of the fastest speeds for two hours straight. Hence, she certainly deserves to be on this list of some of the most famous women athletes of all time.
Martina Navratilova
If Billie Jean calls you, ‘“the greatest singles, doubles, and mixed doubles player who ever lived,” you certainly have something going on for you. Navratilova was not a player but a phenomenon. She managed to shape the very nature of the sport. Subsequently, she was one of the first openly gay athletes of her time.
Simone Biles
Biles has officially secured her spot as the GOAT. As of now, Biles has 25 World Championship titles to her name. Hence, she is definitely one of the greatest players to have ever lived. However, her career is far from over. Therefore, we need to watch for all the things she has yet to achieve.
Wilma Rudolph
Wilma Rudolph is one of the only athletes who has won three different gold medals in a single Olympic Games. This feat instantly made her one of the most famous women athletes of her time. According to the New York Times, she managed to become a sports icon with her amazing skills.
Althea Gibson
Althea Gibson is not just a hero for all the women athletes out there. In fact, she is a hero for the African-American community as well. She was the first-ever African American player who managed to win the prestigious French Open. In fact, she was the first-ever voice against the White Elitism.
Lindsey Vonn
Vonn is one of the greatest female skiers of all time. Vonn has successfully managed to secure 82 World Championship titles to her name. Even though she retired in 2019, she still remained one of the most famous women athletes in the USA.
Hilary Knight
Women’s Ice Hockey can never be complete without Hilary Knight. Knight has singlehandedly shaped the game for future generations and has won some great accolades. Knight has helped her team get out of tough situations countless times. As a result, she definitely deserves to be on our list of famous athletes of all time.
Alice Coachman
The Summer Of 1948 was a historic moment for the African-American country. Alice Coachman changed everything by becoming the first-ever African American female athlete to win an Olympic gold. This opened the door for more African American women to follow suit.
Diana Nyad
Diana Nyad managed to do something that no other female on this list did. She single-handedly managed to swim from Florida to Cuba. She spent 48 hours in the water and managed to complete the task that she had set out to achieve. The most remarkable part of the whole deal was that she was at the age of 64 when she attempted this.
Lynn Hill
Lynn Hill has probably taken her name a little too seriously. Lynn is often considered to be one of the best rock climbers of all time after she managed to free climb the Nose. As a result, she definitely deserves a spot on our list of some of the most famous women athletes of all time.
Bethany Hamilton
Hamilton is a personification of braving your fears. Competitive surfer Bethany Hamilton lost her arm to a shark attack when she was just 13 years old. However that never stopped her from becoming one of the best competitive surfers of all time. Apart from that, she is also a motivational speaker who has garnered a huge fanfare around her.
Lisa Leslie
Lisa Leslie managed to break the gender barrier back in 2002 with her amazing prowess with the ball. She successfully went on to become one of the best basketball players of all time. Some of her accolades include 4 gold medals and three MVP titles, along with other accolades.
Kathrine Switzer
The Boston Marathon is one of the most iconic marathons of all time. However, the playing ground was only open to males. However, in 1967, Katherine Switzer challenged this norm and went on to become one of the first-ever females to run this men-exclusive marathon.
Annika Sörenstam
Annika Sörenstam is one of the most iconic and accomplished golfers of all time. She was the first of her kind to compete against other players in a men-exclusive golfing event. She achieved a lot in her career spanning decades. She is a true inspiration for more females to join her ranks.
Allyson Felix
Back in 2019, Allyson Felix won her 12th Gold medal in a track and field championship. This marked a landslide moment in history as she managed to surpass Usain Bolt. The more remarkable aspect of the journey is that she did this just 10 months after giving birth to her baby in a C-section surgery.
Mikaela Shiffrin
2 Olympic Gold Medals, three World Championships, and sixty-six World Cup wins. These are just some of the accolades that Mikaela Shiffrin earned during her career. Shiffrin is one of the best skiers of all time, alongside Vonn. As a result, she deserves to be on our list of some of the most famous women athletes of all time.
Katie Ledecky
Ledecky is the epitome of peak female athletic form. Ledecky has managed to mesmerize people with her swimming skills and even won some accolades along with it. Ledecky won her first-ever gold medal at the age of 15. And now, she is more of an icon than an athlete. A true inspiration for all the young swimmers out there.
Chaunté Lowe
Love has managed to bag four Olympic medals and even broke several national records. Hence, she is easily one of the greatest athletes who graced the track and field. However, the fate seems to have a different plant as she recently got tested for breast cancer. Still, she is not ready to step out of the track and field yet. Hence, she is not only one of the most famous women athletes of all time but is also an inspiration for countless breast cancer survivors.
The Closing Thought.
And that is all I have for some of the most famous women athletes of all time. Even though I have tried making this list inclusive, I am sure that I have left some athletes out. This was not a deliberate choice. Keep following our page for a Part-II of this article. Keep following our page for more such sports-related content.
