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Baroness Masham (1935-2023) was a paralympic athlete who competed in three Paralympic games, and won two gold medals. She founded the Spinal Injuries Association and served for 53 years as an independent member of the House of Lords. She was praised for her advocacy and volunteer work with disability rights.

Miki Gorman (1936-2015) was a barrier-breaking long distance runner. Born and raised in occupied China and Japan, she became the only woman to have won both the Boston Marathon and the New York City Marathon twice.

Debi Thomas (1967-present) is an American figure skater who became the first Black athlete to win a medal in any sport at the Winter Olympics in 1988. She wasn’t content with just being a world class skater, she also became a doctor, earning degrees from Stanford University and Northwestern University. Now in her fifties, she recently returned to skating.

Pan Duo (1939-2014) was the first Chinese woman to summit Mount Everest and the second woman overall to summit the mountain after Junko Tabei in 1975.

Ruth Aarons (1918-1980) was an American teenage table tennis champion. She was known for her wins at the World Championships and for her performances at night clubs and in theaters. After retiring from table tennis, she went on to manage big stars, like David Cassidy.

Cynisca (c. 440 BCE) was the first woman to ever win an event at the Olympic Games. By exploiting a loophole in the rule that only men could participate in the games, she paved the way for the woman Olympians of today.