Sports media can be a difficult world for women. They are often ridiculed for their looks. However, some have broken through this glass ceiling. Linda Cohn of ESPN has been a trailblazer. Since being hired in 1992, Cohn has evolved into one of the network's most versatile personalities.
Danica Patrick
Danica Patrick is an award-winning NASCAR race driver. She has won multiple championships and was named the sport's most popular driver several times. Danica is a fitness enthusiast as well as philanthropist. Danica is loved for her attractive personality and fit physique.
Patrick began her career driving karts, but quickly moved to racing. In 2005, she was the youngest person in history to win Indianapolis 500. Today, she is still the only female driver that has won IndyCar Series. She continues to break the female sports record.
Lindsey Vonn
Lindsey Vonn has a long history as a skier and an athlete of international standing. She is among the most decorated women in the history the sport. She is the holder of numerous world titles, including the downhill and three world championships. She is also an example for women in sport.
Lindsey Vonn, who was born in Minnesota, began skiing early. She started racing at seven years old and progressed to international competitions. She participated in World Junior Championships as well as World Cup events and was crowned World Cup champion in 2004. Vonn was awarded the overall World Cup title in 2008, and again in 2010.
Michelle Kwan
Michelle Kwan's interest in figure skating began at a young age. At five years old, she began skating with her older sister. She fell in love with figure skating and continued to follow her. Danny and Estella Kwan, her parents, were immigrants from Hong Kong, China. The Kwans met at a reunion of school. Her father worked for the telephone company and her mother ran the Golden Pheasant restaurant in Torrance, California. Michelle started serious training at age eight. She would practice for between three and four hours per day. The time commitment was so high that her family had difficulty paying for it.
In the fall of 2003, Kwan hired noted technician Rafael Arutyunyan as her coach. The pair skated to "The Feeling Begins", the short program, and "Tosca", the long program. Kwan tied Maribel Vison-Owen’s record with nine titles for U.S. female figure skating. Kwan was then eligible for the Olympic Games in Turin (Italy) where she competed with a new judging system. Kwan lost to a triple salchow, and two-footed with a triple lutz at the World Championships.
Cari Champion
Cari Champ, a prominent broadcast journalist is well-known in the world of sports. She is also the co-anchor of ESPN's noon show. She has extensive sports knowledge and experience as a broadcast journalist for multiple networks. She will be speaking on the 2019 program track, "Pushing the Limits in Human Performance".
Cari Champion is a Pasadena native who attended UCLA. One older brother and one younger sister are her siblings. She has not been married yet and is not currently in a public relationship.
Li Na
Li Na is a well-known Chinese tennis player. Her humble background as the daughter a tennis player and an athlete saw her rise to prominence. Now she is one the best tennis players in the country and one of their most wealthy women. Most of her Chinese counterparts had never witnessed her play before she rose to fame.
Her self-confidence and ability to inspire young Chinese has earned her praise. But her contributions go beyond the realm of sports. Li Na, a cultural entrepreneur and influential figure in China, is also influencing Chinese society.