Women in the sports media world often walk a tightrope, and are often ridiculed because of their looks. But, there are some who have broken the glass ceiling. Linda Cohn, a trailblazer at ESPN, is one example of this. Cohn has been a versatile personality since being hired in 1992.
Danica Patrick
Danica Patrick, an NASCAR racer, has won multiple championships. She was a champion driver in multiple NASCAR races and was voted the sport's most loved driver many times. Danica is also an avid fitness enthusiast and philanthropist. Her attractive personality and fit body have won her many loyal fans.
Patrick started her career racing karts. In 2005, she was the youngest person to win Indianapolis 500. She remains the only female driver who has won the IndyCar Series. She continues breaking female sports records.
Lindsey Vonn
Lindsey Vonn is an internationally renowned skier and athlete. She is among the most decorated women in the history the sport. She is the winner of many world titles including the downhill world title, the three consecutive world championships and the overall world cup championship. She is also a role-model for women in sports.
Lindsey Vonn was a Minnesota native who began skiing at a young age. She began competing in races at age seven and soon made it to international competitions. She participated in World Junior Championships as well as World Cup events and was crowned World Cup champion in 2004. Vonn went on to win 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. She was five years old when she began to skate with her older sister. Her parents, Danny and Estella Kwan, were immigrants from Hong Kong and China. The Kwans met during a school reunion. Her father was a telephone company worker, and her mother ran Torrance's Golden Pheasant in California. Michelle began serious training when she was eight years old. She would practice for 3-4 hours each day. However, her time commitment was so significant that her family had to struggle to pay.
Kwan appointed Rafael Arutyunyan, a well-known technician, to be her coach in fall 2003. The pair skated to "The Feeling Begins" in the short program and "Tosca” in the long program. At the U.S. Championships, Kwan tied Maribel Vinson-Owen's record for U.S. women's figure skating with nine titles. The following year, Kwan qualified for the Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, where she competed under a new judging system. However, at the World Championships, Kwan fell on a triple salchow and two-footed a triple lutz.
Cari Champion
Cari Champion is a well known broadcast journalist. She hosts the podcast Be Honest with Cari Champion and anchors the noon edition ESPN's flagship program. She has extensive sports knowledge and experience as a broadcast journalist for multiple networks. In fact, she will speak on the 2019 program track, Pushing the Limits of Human Performance.
Cari Champion was raised in Pasadena (California) and attended UCLA. She has one older sister and two younger brothers. She has not yet been married and is not currently involved in a public affair.
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 both one of world's top tennis players and one among the wealthiest women. Most of her Chinese counterparts had never witnessed her play before she rose to fame.
She has been praised both for her self-confidence & her ability in inspiring young Chinese. She isn't limited to the world of sports. Li Na is an influential cultural entrepreneur who has an influence on Chinese society beyond the sport.