believe in your power ...

The Glinda Factor celebrates the stories of women who influenced every aspect of America’s history, from sports to scientific breakthroughs. They all drew upon the power within them to follow their dreams and change our nation.

We all have the power within us to follow our dreams. Sometimes, however, that power can be hard to recognize — it's trusting in your abilities; it's embracing your strengths and accepting your weaknesses; it's being strong enough to ask for help along the way; it's never giving up.


When somebody tells me I cannot do something, that's when I do it.

Gertrude Ederle
America’s love of sport is ingrained in our national identity, providing countless opportunities for camaraderie and fitness while also bringing communities together to rally around a beloved local team or an Olympic athlete on the world stage. But too often girls and women were excluded from participation on the grounds that they were too fragile or too emotional to handle competition. 
The Glinda Factor is honored to highlight just a few Awesome Athletes who challenged the conventional wisdom that sport is for boys and men. They pushed against individual and institutional resistance and proved that they too had the desire and talent to play…and to win. Their belief that girls and women deserve to experience all that sport has to offer continues to inspire young women today.
Margaret Abbott
Margaret Abbott (1900)
Gertrude Ederle
Gertrude Ederle (1926)
Beatrix Loughran
Beatrix Loughran (1932)
Alice Coachman
Alice Coachman (1948)
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Victoria Manalo Draves (1948)
Toni Stone
Marcenia "Toni" Lyle Stone (1953)
Sharon Stouder
Sharon Stouder (1964)
Kathy Kusner
Kathy Kusner (1968)
Sue Sally Hale
Sue Sally Hale (1972)
Anita de Franz
Anita de Franz (1979)
Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova (1981)
Vonetta Flowers
Vonetta Flowers (2002)