Who are your nominees for butt-kicking chicks?

[sydney_b]

A friend of mine emailed me last nite about his little grade-school age girl ....

She had said she doesn't like being a girl because "being a girl is boring. Girls are boring and sneaky and most of them are wimpy."

Egads. I remember thinking similar things when I was little, so I want to give my friend a list of women to talk to his daughter about.

I'll kick it off with Margie Roberts Hart.
http://www.cowgirl.net/honorees/Margie_Roberts_Hart.aspx

/s

[DirtDiva]

Gawd. :rolleyes: I can't tell you how much it annoyed me when I was a kid and I had a friend over to play who only wanted to play with Barbies and My Little Ponies; skateboards and rollerskates and bikes were much more fun! :D

Ellen MacArthur (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_McArthur) would be one that springs to mind.

[Tuckervill]

Babe Didrikson

http://www.sacbee.com/static/archive/news/projects/people_of_century/sports/didrikson.html

>>when asked if there was anything she didn't play, she replied, “Yeah, dolls.”<<

[DebW]

Beryl Markham, first person to fly the Atlantic Ocean east to west (solo non-stop flight). Also a licensed horse trainer.

Margaret Thatcher

Indira Ghandi

Rachel Carson, author of "Silent Spring" which started the environmental movement.

Marie Curie, 2 Nobel prizes. Quotes:

"Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained."

"Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood."

Barbara McClintock, Nobel prize winner in medicine

Beatrix Potter, author of children's stories, scientific expert on fungi

Jane Goodal, chimp researcher

[yellow]

There was another similar thread on this a year or so ago. I wish I could tell you what to search on. The list was exhaustive!

I've always been a big fan of Billie Jean King (http://www.wic.org/bio/bking.htm). She was my first athletic hero.

[uk elephant]

What about talking to this girl about great stuff women in her own family/neighbourhood do? Hearing about Marie Curie is great, but a bit out of reach for most of us.....Point out how much fun you can have and how strong you can be using examples of women she knows. Your own cycling feats maybe? If it was my own family, I would give the following examples for starters:

Mom - PhD and full professor and successful career taking her all over the world (That would be Bikeless in WI)
Aunt - cycled the AidsRide twice! I'm scared at the thought of doing it once! And she has a black belt in Aikido (I think) (And this would be Trek420)
Grandma - civil rights and peace activist, arrested for civil disobedience at the age of...not sure....mid 70's? (and she bakes wonderful pies!) (Bikeless and Trek's mom)

Who said you had to be bored and whipmy as a girl? Go out and do what you like! If it's not fun? Do something else!

[yellow]

What about our own Cat Berge (http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=3042)!?!!

[Bad JuJu]

I like the idea of identifying close-to-home strong female role models. I had a nice assortment of these when I was growing up (though none of them were athletes, sadly), and I think it really helped to shape my attitude about who I was and what I could be.

But here's another idea as well as an opportunity to show a kid how the internet can be more than just a surfing-for-music-and-shopping tool. Your friend could sit down with her daughter at the computer and do a web search for "strong women" or some other keyword and they could see together what comes up (mom might want to do this on her own first so she can avoid potential hot spots).

And to add to the list, Susan B. Anthony, Edith Wharton, and ... Georgena Terry.

[KnottedYet]

Georgena Terry!!!!

I had no clue she wore a leg brace until I saw it in a pic of her (back when she did a lot of the modelling for the catalog). Those puppies are a pain in the butt, and she bikes like a maniac in hers!

Oh, yeah, and she builds bike frames and has a business....

(geez, healthcare workers and our priorities.....:) )

[Veronica]

Sarah Burke (MP), Running Mommy and Nanci... mental toughness... or maybe they are just mental. :D

Yep... I think it's important to point out strong women both "far" and "near."

V.

[Kimmyt]

Lynn Hill. (http://www.womenclimbing.com/climb/biodetail.asp?id=1)

Probably THE foremost technical rock climber in the world. The first person, man or woman, to freeclimb Yosemite's El Capitan.

Not too bad for a 5'1" chica! Now that girl can kick some butt!

K.

[Nokomis]

I'm not sure I have a list :p but then I was the one who tackled the wrestler in girl vs. boy football after being clotheslined across the nose :D poor guy didn't even have the ball :D

It sounds like she's the victim of some catty girls within her current social circles - might not be too early to check out the book Queen Bees & Wannabes (http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&isbn=1400047927&itm=1) to help deal with the external attitudes... that crap is starting earlier all the time.

Find a few movies with strong female leads - one age appropriate would be Ever After (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120631/) - Cinderella standing up for herself, Very Cool. There are more & more strong female lead action movies or activist movies, but I am a little short on those w/ a PG rating :p

Also, find an activity that she can start & impove her strength. I'd probably reccomend coed, so as to avoid creating another catty environ. Karate or horsemanship or swimming or cycling or rock climbing - something that challenges her to grow and builds her up mentally & physically - so that she knows She Can do it, and that there is more than slumber parties and glitter gloss in her future. I don't know enough about 4H or Girl Scouts or Boys & Girls club to know if they'd work - so much of that depends on the group & leadership she'd be involved with.

Not only are women strong, but we're brilliant too! I'd also research mentor opportunities in the academic arena, hopefully the school system already has something in place that would be appropriate. (National Engineers day? Math programs? Art Workshops?) Is there a strong & empowered teacher that she looks up to that could take her under her wing?

I hope she finds & embraces her inner strength soon *hugs* to all the little girls out there!

[maillotpois]

Sarah Burke (MP), Running Mommy and Nanci... mental toughness... or maybe they are just mental. :D

Yep... I think it's important to point out strong women both "far" and "near."

V.

Hey thanks!

I'd put you on the list, too!

What about Jeanne Longo? For women cyclists, there really isn't anyone else...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeannie_Longo

Or, if your French is up to snuff: http://jeannielongo.free.fr/pages/cadres01.html

She's been World Champion 5 times, spanning a 10 year period. She continues to be super-competitive and a force to be reckoned with into her forties.

[Robbin_G]

She had said she doesn't like being a girl because "being a girl is boring. Girls are boring and sneaky and most of them are wimpy."



I still say most girls are boring and sneaky. Have you seen the Stupid Girl video!? 3 cheers for Pink.

They just don't end up here. As far back as I could remember, I did boy stuff with the boys and never noticed I was a girl and wasn't supposed to. Maybe that's also how I've been successful in a male dominated field. I think maybe because of that, I don't have a good answer for you as I can't recall who my own female inspirations were.

The only thing I do recall is being somehwere around 4th grade and on a hot, hot day I wanted to take my shirt off like my brother. Didn't quite get why I couldn't. Hey, if a toddling Jodi Foster could.....

But if we are talking cyclists....how about a young one? Sarah Uhl @ Penn State. She's finishing men's A collegiate races.

[MomOnBike]

To make this more bike related, how 'bout our own Denise Goldberg or Heidi D. (can't spell her last name) on CrazyGuy. Both are long distance tourers. Not in the least wimpy.

Denise just up and takes off when she has a chance - and makes those chances happen.

Heidi took her trike from her home to Alaska, hither & yon across Canada, & then back home. This summer she went down the Great Divide trail & kind of forgot to stop when she hit the Mexican border. (She did eventually turn around and peddle home.)

Boring? Um, yeah, right. Wimpy, too.

[bluerider]

Number one...my MOM! She kicks butt in other ways besides sport. She grew up in a culture/era that didn't encourage girls to do and be anything they want to be but today she is my biggest supporter.

I greatly admire Katherine Switzer (runner). And Sarah Reinersten (triathlete). Both amazing ladies.

[Waverly]

I never felt like girls were boring or incapable. I also never felt like I couldn't do as much as a guy. I LOVE being female! We have tons of power and capability. For god's sake we give birth to live little human beings! I was raised by a single mom. That may be why I never felt like girls couldn’t do as much as men. I watched my mother raise to rotten kids and run her own business. Granted she didn't do everything perfect, but what fun would that have been. My mom is my strong woman! She definitely instilled in me the knowledge that I could do whatever I wanted regardless of my sex. Not to say that some girls aren't boring and snotty! Maybe it is just the little group she is playing with or their age. Kudo's for your daughter for realizing their wrong and for wanting more.

Jessica :D

[Trek420]

uk elephant "Aunt...And she has a black belt in Aikido (I think)" that's 2nd degree BB to you :D ;)"

Don't forget yourself, my neice, completed your undergrad work in what was it? 3 years? Now on to a dual major Phd.

Other neice is a lawyer and now a new Mom.

Our cousin Dina is a UN translator and speaks G** only knows how many languages.

And UK the other butt kicking thing about your G'ma (and bikeless and my mom) is how she went back to school to complete her Masters with a family with 3 kids. When I was a kid so few Moms worked outside the home, I got a lot of raised eyebrows and was always so proud of her. She's the orriginal Super Mom.

And then there's your Great Grandma....both of them really....

[CorsairMac]

ROFL - I was just in stitches when I read this: growing up my mom kept asking me why I couldn't act "more like a girl"! Now she brags about me to anyone who'll listen coz I'm a bike commuter! My how age changes ones viewpoints!

anyway: how about Rosa Parks?

[li10up]

ROFL - I was just in stitches when I read this: growing up my mom kept asking me why I couldn't act "more like a girl"! Now she brags about me to anyone who'll listen coz I'm a bike commuter! My how age changes ones viewpoints!
I heard that all the time when growing up! Now my mom thinks it's cool that I can ride 50 miles on a bike, that I go backpacking, kayaking and skiing. Now she calls me a strong woman instead of a "tomboy". OOHHH how I hated that word. Just because a girl likes sports doesn't mean she's a boy. I said this in another thread somewhere....if a lady does it then I guess it's "lady-like", right?

[DirtDiva]

I wanted to be a tomboy, but I was too unco-ordinated. :o

What about books? I don't know how old the girl in question is, so it's a bit hard to make recomendations, but there's plenty of literature around with non-boring, non-wimpy girl characters. One that springs to mind is Lyra Silvertongue (she is a little sneaky, I admit) from Philip Pullman's Northern Lights (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0590660543/203-3339647-1191126) series. Probably best for a reader of 10-12, and they're enjoyable for adults too, so he could always read it to her if they're a bit hard. There's all plenty of other stuff out there that isn't all Babysitters' Club lip gloss and boyfriends. I should be able to think of lots more examples, but my brain isn't co-operating at the moment.

[rocknrollgirl]

Is for my Mom, who as we speak is fighting for her life against ovarian cancer. She buried two chidren in her life, and has been fighting this horrible disease for three years. We have literally watched her come back from the dead twice.
She is the strongest person I know. This Sunday I am doing a six hour adventure race to benefit the American Cancer Society. Every step of my training and every step of the race I do in her honor.

You rock Mom...you are the original tough chick....

Ruth

[Crankin]

I teach 11-13 year olds and this is a perpetual problem. There are lots of good role models,but the problem is there are even more bad ones. I see the confident, athletic sixth graders come in and within months their egos are deflated and they are giggling idiots, even if they are very smart girls. Some of this is normal developmental behavior, but when i have to talk to 11 year old girls about "dating" problems it seems weird. I was no perfect girl at that age and most of my friends think I was pretty wild compared to their experiences. But, it seems like these girls are about 2 years ahead of where I was, back in the sixties. I also notice that really smart girls tend to want to hang out with immature, not very bright boys and other girls who get in a considerable amount of trouble... I would have never even looked at people like that for friends. I think my mom sort of always told me that I could do whatever I wanted and that I should be able to take care of myself. Even though she was a stay at home mom of the fifties era, she was very athletic and independent. Too bad I inherited my dad's lack of coordination as a kid. Of course, the only sports open to girls then were ballet and ice skating. So, I skated and rode my bike!

[massbikebabe]

on Robyns trend...

how about Dorothy Hamill??? I just watched a cool documentary about Greta
(last name escapes me) she was a jewish high jumper during WWII...awesome
story.


karen

[vie]

My mom and her mom will always be my role models. They are truly amazing women.
But I personally look up to a few Ironman women like Lisa Bentley, Lori Bowden, Heather Fuhr and the list go's on. There's nothing boring about those canadien women ! They inspire me to train and not give up my dreams and goals.

Sylvie

[Tuckervill]

There's a good book on this topic, Reviving Ophelia, by Mary Pipher

Amazon review:
At adolescence, says Mary Pipher, "girls become 'female impersonators' who fit their whole selves into small, crowded spaces." Many lose spark, interest, and even IQ points as a "girl-poisoning" society forces a choice between being shunned for staying true to oneself and struggling to stay within a narrow definition of female. Pipher's alarming tales of a generation swamped by pain may be partly informed by her role as a therapist who sees troubled children and teens, but her sketch of a tougher, more menacing world for girls often hits the mark. She offers some prescriptions for changing society and helping girls resist.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345392825/104-2389795-6355931?v=glance&n=283155

[CorsairMac]

on Robyns trend...

how about Dorothy Hamill??? I just watched a cool documentary about Greta
(last name escapes me) she was a jewish high jumper during WWII...awesome
story.


karen


OT Drift: SAC!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was Just thinking of you yesterday.....either I'm whizzing by your posts or I just haven't seen any in awhile! I was wondering how you were doing??...go riding yet??...how the therapy is going? etc etc


and here's a good one for ya:

how about our own MassBikeBabe recovering from a stroke and refusing to let it take her down??

[massbikebabe]

aaaaaaahhhhhhhh, shucks.

Much has happened to me this past month that I haven't been able to post. Until last week I was having constant seizures...got that under control.
Then Me mum and dad went to Ireland to visit the family and I lost me dad over there. He went very quickly and painlessly so I take great solace in that.
I am hoping to get on me bike next week if the weather holds out. So much has happened in such a short time that my head is spinning. But I try to keep logging in because this space brings me so much comfort and inspiration!!


karen

[mtkitchn]

aaaaaaahhhhhhhh, shucks.

Much has happened to me this past month that I haven't been able to post. Until last week I was having constant seizures...got that under control.
Then Me mum and dad went to Ireland to visit the family and I lost me dad over there. He went very quickly and painlessly so I take great solace in that.
I am hoping to get on me bike next week if the weather holds out. So much has happened in such a short time that my head is spinning. But I try to keep logging in because this space brings me so much comfort and inspiration!!


karen


Wow, Karen, you've gone through a lot recently! Hope everything works out for you. Am sending good thoughts your way....

[sydney_b]

Y'all are awesome. Thank you for your suggestions and insights!

/s

[Grog]

This is not for every family, as it is self-described as 'grass-root feminist' and sometimes runs articles or columns about "how to tell your parents you're queer", but I think this is a pretty good magazine considering what's out there for girls:

Shameless (http://www.shamelessmag.com)
For girls who get it (that's their motto)

Unless you see yourself as politically and/or socially conservative, you'll probably love this. I'm twice the age of their average reader and will renew my subscription this Summer. The issue I have in hand here (Fall 2005) has articles on "Making the Cut" ("The pressure to be perfect below the belt", an article about labia reconstruction, a topic we've recently discussed here) and a column on why we pluck our eyebrows, another (by a toronto doctor) on the Plan B pill, some "geek chic" column (about computers or something), a crash course in surfing, etc.

I find it totally women-positive. At times it makes me cringe a bit, but much, much less than the fluffy stuff the girls usually get to read.

It's a Canadian mag but they will gladly deliver everywhere!!

And, to me, these chicks kick-@$$.

[pkq]

We have the female tennis players, too, like Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Martina Hingis, Sharapova, Davenport, etc. Gymnast, swimmers, weight lifters, etc. have many positive female role models for young girls.

Being an engineer who is willing to try anything that looks interesting and challenging, I have encountered many people in life, men and women, who don't like women like us being "out of our place." Fear and insecurity drive them to try to "put us in our place." I've experienced a lot of rejection from men and women due to being different, which has made me "give up" on humanity at different times in life.

The first time my paternal grandmother saw me on a motorcycle her comment was, "Only ****s ride motorcycles." The nerve of even your own family sometimes.

My dad didn't tell me until I was 42 that he was proud of me. He was proud of me for being an engineer. In his pea brain, women were to be stay at mothers, teachers, and maybe nurses but certainly nothing else.

I am sure many women here, and other places, have overcome a lot in life to achieve, fulfill their dreams, pursue their goals, set new limits for women, push boundaries, etc. Many women have a lot to celebrate!

To really live life, you need a lot of courage.

[stella]

great thread! pkg--I enjoyed reading what you had to say.

When I think of the women I admired as a child: well...Dr. Joyce Brothers (I wanted to be a psychologist--she just seemed so smart and sure of herself!).

I remember I would get frustrated that there was no female Evil Kneivel at that time. I was a bit of a odd mixture of tomboy and egg head. I do not recall any women in media doing anything too physically taxing, aside from tennis (not a sport I was interested in).

Even the media put forth Charlies Angels (bright, physically fit, but also looking beautiful the whole time).

As far as other strong women I admire: Georgeanna Terry, Janice Longo, Adrienne Rich, Maya Angelou, Jodi Foster for picking non-trad female characters to play.

close to home: any woman engineer, scientist...any woman in a non-trad female career!
oh yeah, my grandmother--who was a flapper in the 20's and thought it was great that I rode a motorcycle. (my mom, well...another story...)