Now, that title can be a little misleading. Did you think it meant women titness trainers like Jillian Michaels, Jackie Warner, or Michelle Bridges? Or maybe it will be about Kaia FIT Founder Nikki Warren, or perhaps your Kaia Coaches and Owners. Although it was a thought, I decided to share with you about a few women that I find inspiring.
First of all, take a moment and look around your very own Kaia studio. I bet like me, you see some fellow Kaia Girls that are inspiring. There are a multitude of ladies that come to mind when I put the words “Women” and “Fitness” together. My list of ladies starts with Pat Summit, Serena and Venus Williams, Kristy Yamaguchi, Katelyn Ohashhi, Kerrie Walsh-Jennings, Misty Mae-Trainor, Mia Hamm, Ronda Rousey, Diana Nyad, Mo’ne Davis, Katie Ledecky, Dorothy Hamill, Arlene Limas, Danica Patrik and Simone Biles. All of these women have played a role in demonstrating that age is a number and does not limit us from being fit. Their characteristics are incredibly similar. They portray passion, drive, determination and pure focus on achieving their goals.
Women in fitness have come a long way. They are now able to have fitness related careers and earn an income simultaneously, they are paid to speak at public events and they are paid to be professional athletes. I attribute a good amount of this toward technological advances where sharing information is as easy as pushing a button. However, I do believe the greatest leap for women in fitness is attributed to Title IX.
TITLE IX of the Education Amendments was signed by President Nixon in June of 1972 to become a law. The main purpose of Title IX is to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in any education program or activity that is federally funded.
I mean, it has only been 48 years since the signing of Title IX. Before Title IX, few opportunities existed for female athletes. Ask any woman who went to high school before Title IX was enacted and you will hear many stories about wanting to be on a sports team, but none existed for girls at that time. Thank goodness for Title IX!!
Out of the list of names I rambled off, there are two that I will take a moment to tell you about and why they inspire me.
Pat Summitt
Pat Summitt was the basketball coach for the University of Tennessee Lady Vols. from 1974 to 2012. She accrued 1,098 career wins. She was inspiring to watch, although I watched from my parent’s TV. Through those airwaves, she came across as strong, determined, focused and well respected. I found myself making mental notes on how she handled herself on the court and how she interacted with her players. Pat Summits would say: “Losing is not a good thing for at the moment….. but is a great thing in the long-range because it is a blueprint for what we need to do better, failure is a success if we learn from it”.
Check out this link: https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/16519514/there-never-anyone-tennessee-lady-vols-coach-pat-summitt
Lately, Katelyn Ohashi has caught my attention. She is a UCLA college gymnast that exploded the internet this past year. Katelyn, as an athlete, is entertaining and mesmerizes the crowd and judges when she completes her routines. She has the crowd on their feet to cheer then hold their breath as they wait to see her next move. I bring her to your attention not only because of her athletic abilities but because of the body-shaming she endured. Katelyn portrays a young woman that is strong and intelligent. Her story is amazing and I look forward to hearing about what she will do next. Check out one of her UCLA performances. https://www.dailynews.com/2019/04/30/whats-next-for-ucla-gymnastics-star-katelyn-ohashi/
These are the two I decided to share with you. My list of female athletes that inspire me continues to grow as I enjoy hearing what women go through to remain fit and active. Every woman, including professional athletes and coaches, experience a journey that leads them to be successful.
I am eager to hear your thoughts on the “Women in Fitness” you love. Send me an email to Anacleta@kaiafit.com and share your thoughts with me.