Friday, November 11, 2022

Fast Girls by Elise Hooper

 In the 1928 Olympics, Betty Robinson won a gold medal in the 100m race. It was the first time women could compete and there were many who thought this was a fluke and women should not be competing in such a demanding sport.  Inspired by her win, women continued to find ways to race.  This is the story of the 1936 Berlin Olympics. While the light shone brightest on Jesse Owens that Olympic year and on the rise of Nazi Germany for many years after, there were women who also felt they had something to prove.  This story focuses on three of the women.  Helen Stephens, a farm girl from Iowa; Louise Stokes, a young Black woman from the Boston area; and Betty.  Through their stories we learn about the racism, sexism and homophobia these women had to struggle against to compete and how the power of team work helped them overcome the obstacles in their paths and lead to a golden moment.  Enlightening and inspiring, it is not a surprising that we didn't know about these women - just sad that it took so long.



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