Women's History Month is held annually in March to highlight the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. It started with the first International Women’s Day in 1911, grew to National Women’s History Week in 1980 and was officially recognized in it’s current form in 1988. We believe that sports history is also worth celebrating this month, particularly the historic and impactful achievements of female athletes. They have been winning medals, setting records, and smashing the glass ceiling for decades. Up2Us Sports works with six female ambassadors who have all made their mark on their respective sports, and each hold a small - or in some cases, large - piece of history. Read below for some of the incredible achievements of our ambassadors:
Sasha DiGiulian
Climbing
- Undefeated Pan-American Champion from 2004 to present
- 2011 female overall World Champion
- Three-time U.S. Champion
- First North American woman - and third in the World - to climb the grade 9a, 5.14d, recognized as one of the hardest sport climbs achieved by a female - she’s done two.
- Accomplished multiple First Ascents and 28 First Female Ascents around the world, including a First Female Ascent on the North Face of the Eiger
Sarah Hughes
Figure Skating
- 2002 Olympic gold medal winner at just 16 years old
- First woman ever to complete two triple-triple combinations in an Olympic Games
- 2001 World bronze medal winner
- Five-time U.S. Championships medalist
Sugar Rodgers
Basketball - New York Liberty
- Named to the 2016 USA Basketball Women’s Select Team
- 2nd most 3-pointers in the league in 2016
- 2013 WNBA Champion
- Georgetown’s all-time scoring leader with 2,518 points, surpassing the men’s team scoring leader by more than 200 points
Claressa Shields
Boxing
- 2016 and 2012 Olympic Gold Medal Winner - becoming the first and only American boxer - female or male - to win back-to-back Olympic golds
- 2015 Pan American Games Gold Medal Winner
- 2015 USA Boxing Female Athlete of the Year
- Two-time World Champion
Pam Shriver
Tennis
- 1988 Olympic Gold Medal Winner in women’s doubles with partner Zina Garrison
- 132 career titles in singles and doubles play
- Record 109 match winning streak with doubles partner Martina Navratilova from April 1983 to July 1985
Kim Vandenberg
Swimming
- 2011 Pan American Games Gold Medal winner in the 200m butterfly & 4x200m freestyle
- 2008 Beijing Games Bronze Medalist in 4x200m freestyle
- 2007 World Championships Silver Medal Winner
- 2004 U.S. National Champion in the 200m butterfly
- Swam collegiately at UCLA, where she was an All-American and broke school records in the 100 and 200 butterfly
Up2Us Sports is dedicated to providing girls with the opportunity to play and women the opportunity to coach. Thanks to our ambassadors for helping us tell the world how important sports are for girls and women everywhere.
