June 8, 2021 • 5 mins
She was one of the greatest athletes—ever—and when Babe Didrikson Zaharias competed in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics she set four world records in track and field. Next month’s Olympics will show us more amazing women athletes, and they can all learn a lesson from the immortal Babe.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
So welcome to this episode of Here's Something Good, a
production of the Seneca Women Podcast Network and I Heart Radio.
Each day we aspire to bring you the good news,
the silver lining, the glass half full, because there is
good happening in the world everywhere, every day, we just
(00:21):
need to look for and share it. Here's something Good
for Today. The Summer Olympics are coming up next month,
and we planned to be glued to the screen watching
amazing women doing unbelievable feats. One event not to miss
is gymnast Simone Biles. She's expected to perform the difficult
(00:42):
your chanko double pike fault. She's the only woman ever
to complete it in competition. But as we look ahead,
let's look back to and remember an athlete who did
the near impossible at the Olympics eight nine years ago.
And she did it not once, but multiple times. I'm
talking about one of the greatest athletes of the twentieth century,
perhaps in all time, Babe Dietricks and Zaharias. At the
(01:07):
ninety two Olympics, Babe became the only person ever man
or woman, to win individual medals in separate track and
field events. She qualified for five events, but competed in
only three because at that time women were allowed to
participate in no more than three events. But Babe was
good at every sport she played. She's considered one of
(01:28):
history's greatest golfers. She helped found the LPGA and won
a record number of tournaments. She excelled at swimming, baseball,
even football. We wanted to learn more about what made
her such a groundbreaker, so we talked to Dr. Karen Lecompte,
an associate professor at Baylor University who has written and
taught about Babe. Here's what she had to say. Babe
(01:51):
was tough enough to be in any sport, boxing, billiard, skating, archery, baseball, football, swimming.
At her polo bowling, polo checkers, dominoes, and gin rummy,
she often said, I don't see any point in playing
the game if you don't win. She was the most
(02:12):
recognized and titled champion and track and field events in
baseball and golf at the time when women struggled for
equal rights and the nation faced tremendous societal changes. And
November of nineteen two, American voters used the power of
democracy and voted strongly in favor of Franklin Delano Roosevelt
(02:37):
as a response to the nation's economic conditions. Life for
many American families was a desperate state for living conditions
and little food. The Olympic Games provided a much needed distraction.
Women had only been able to vote for twelve years.
Women were pushing gender limits in social realms, and the
(03:01):
Olympics were no exception. Women were only allowed to enter
three events. Babe broke four world records. She won the
javelin throw with a hundred and forty three ft four inches,
won the eighty meter hurdles twice, breaking the previous world records.
(03:21):
By the way, her best time was eleven point seven seconds,
and she made a world record high jump, but the
jump was disallowed and she was awarded second place. She
transidented stereotypes and she was far more complex, contradictory, and
(03:42):
a very enduring character. I think she would tell today's
athletes to break barriers, build confidence through your competitive nature,
don't worry about what others think, laugh and enjoy the
hard work. I love this quote, she said. A reporter
(04:02):
ONCET ask Babe, is there anything you don't like to do?
She said, yes, play with dolls. Now that's someone worth
remembering and learning from. So here's something good for today.
Let's take inspiration from today's incredible women athletes and also
look back at the women who broke barriers in sports
(04:22):
when the challenges were even greater and when women were
confined to a few narrow roles. Babe Dietrichs and Saharias
was fiercely competitive and unapologetic about her ambition to be
the best athlete in the world, and when people questioned
whether her actions were appropriate for a woman, she laughed
off their criticism. You can learn much more about Babe
(04:43):
and her lasting legacy on today's episode of our podcast,
Seneca's one hundred Women to Hear. Thank you for listening,
and please share Today's something Good with others in your life.
(05:04):
This is Kim Azzarelli, co author of Fast Forward and
co founder of Seneca Women. To learn more about Seneca Women,
go to Seneca Women dot com or download the Seneca
Women app free in the app store. Care Something Good
is a production of the Seneca Women podcast network and
I Heart Radio. Have a Great Day. For more podcasts
(05:29):
from my heart Radio, check out the i heart Radio app,
Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows,
So welcome to this episode of Here's Something Good, a
production of the Seneca Women Podcast Network and I Heart Radio.
Each day we aspire to bring you the good news,
the silver lining, the glass half full, because there is
good happening in the world everywhere, every day, we just
(00:21):
need to look for and share it. Here's something Good
for Today. The Summer Olympics are coming up next month,
and we planned to be glued to the screen watching
amazing women doing unbelievable feats. One event not to miss
is gymnast Simone Biles. She's expected to perform the difficult
(00:42):
your chanko double pike fault. She's the only woman ever
to complete it in competition. But as we look ahead,
let's look back to and remember an athlete who did
the near impossible at the Olympics eight nine years ago.
And she did it not once, but multiple times. I'm
talking about one of the greatest athletes of the twentieth century,
perhaps in all time, Babe Dietricks and Zaharias. At the
(01:07):
ninety two Olympics, Babe became the only person ever man
or woman, to win individual medals in separate track and
field events. She qualified for five events, but competed in
only three because at that time women were allowed to
participate in no more than three events. But Babe was
good at every sport she played. She's considered one of
(01:28):
history's greatest golfers. She helped found the LPGA and won
a record number of tournaments. She excelled at swimming, baseball,
even football. We wanted to learn more about what made
her such a groundbreaker, so we talked to Dr. Karen Lecompte,
an associate professor at Baylor University who has written and
taught about Babe. Here's what she had to say. Babe
(01:51):
was tough enough to be in any sport, boxing, billiard, skating, archery, baseball, football, swimming.
At her polo bowling, polo checkers, dominoes, and gin rummy,
she often said, I don't see any point in playing
the game if you don't win. She was the most
(02:12):
recognized and titled champion and track and field events in
baseball and golf at the time when women struggled for
equal rights and the nation faced tremendous societal changes. And
November of nineteen two, American voters used the power of
democracy and voted strongly in favor of Franklin Delano Roosevelt
(02:37):
as a response to the nation's economic conditions. Life for
many American families was a desperate state for living conditions
and little food. The Olympic Games provided a much needed distraction.
Women had only been able to vote for twelve years.
Women were pushing gender limits in social realms, and the
(03:01):
Olympics were no exception. Women were only allowed to enter
three events. Babe broke four world records. She won the
javelin throw with a hundred and forty three ft four inches,
won the eighty meter hurdles twice, breaking the previous world records.
(03:21):
By the way, her best time was eleven point seven seconds,
and she made a world record high jump, but the
jump was disallowed and she was awarded second place. She
transidented stereotypes and she was far more complex, contradictory, and
(03:42):
a very enduring character. I think she would tell today's
athletes to break barriers, build confidence through your competitive nature,
don't worry about what others think, laugh and enjoy the
hard work. I love this quote, she said. A reporter
(04:02):
ONCET ask Babe, is there anything you don't like to do?
She said, yes, play with dolls. Now that's someone worth
remembering and learning from. So here's something good for today.
Let's take inspiration from today's incredible women athletes and also
look back at the women who broke barriers in sports
(04:22):
when the challenges were even greater and when women were
confined to a few narrow roles. Babe Dietrichs and Saharias
was fiercely competitive and unapologetic about her ambition to be
the best athlete in the world, and when people questioned
whether her actions were appropriate for a woman, she laughed
off their criticism. You can learn much more about Babe
(04:43):
and her lasting legacy on today's episode of our podcast,
Seneca's one hundred Women to Hear. Thank you for listening,
and please share Today's something Good with others in your life.
(05:04):
This is Kim Azzarelli, co author of Fast Forward and
co founder of Seneca Women. To learn more about Seneca Women,
go to Seneca Women dot com or download the Seneca
Women app free in the app store. Care Something Good
is a production of the Seneca Women podcast network and
I Heart Radio. Have a Great Day. For more podcasts
(05:29):
from my heart Radio, check out the i heart Radio app,
Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows,
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