In high school, Babe was a member of every girls’ team: swim- ming, volleyball, tennis, baseball, and golf. She led her school’s basketball team to three undefeated seasons. After high school, she joined the Golden Cyclones basketball club, became their top scorer, and led the AAU National Championship team in 1931. By 1932, 21-year-old Babe Didrikson was one of the most famous people in America. By the time the summer Olympics were over, she would be known as the greatest woman athlete in the world, or more simply, “Iron Woman.”
She competed in three Olympic events and came away with three medals: two golds for the 80-meter hurdles and javelin throw and a silver for the high jump — even though her jump was equal to the gold medal winner. She set two world records and an Olympic record in doing so. More impressively, she became the only athlete — male or female — to win individual Olympic medals in sepa- rate running, throwing, and jumping events, a record that still stands today.
135
Made with FlippingBook Annual report maker