These two women are breaking more than just glass ceilings, they’re breaking world records. Wilma Rudolph has been called “the fastest woman in the world,” and Allyson Felix is a sprinter who’s on track to be the fastest person in the world.
Rudolph competed in the Olympic games, winning a bronze medal in 1956, and then in 1960 she took home three gold medals and broke three world records. It was the Olympic games of 1960 that earned her the title of “fastest woman in the world.” Also an activist for civil rights, Rudolph wouldn’t attend her celebratory homecoming parade unless it was integrated. She went on to graduate from Tennessee State University and has won numerous awards. Rudolph even started an organization, which aims to help amateur track and field athletes.
Another woman who’s breaking world records is Allyson Felix. Rudolph is passing the baton to the rightful successor of her legacy, and Felix is making history all on her own. Beating Usain Bolt’s world record in 2019, Felix has surpassed her predecessor, proving herself to be faster than any woman or man in the world.
Olympic gold medalist and three-time world champion, Felix will be competing in the Tokyo Olympic games this summer. When she was only 15 years old, Felix took home her first medal at the 2001 World Youth Championships in Debrecen. Then at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki she became the youngest sprinter in history to win gold. Felix suffered two defeats in 2004 and 2008, but she said those failures are what pushed her to succeed. Succeed she did, winning gold at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic games. Also an activist, she traveled to the Middle East with the organization Right to Play, where she was able to work with children and the communities there. More than just a track star, Felix works with many charitable organizations and partakes in numerous philanthropic endeavors.
Rudolph made her mark as the “the fastest woman in the world,” and Felix is making her mark as the fastest person in the world. Just as Rudolph did before her, Felix is running her way to the top and proving that women can do anything men can do, and in Felix’s case they can do it better.
