A league of their own: these female athletes went head-to-head against men

Sports between men and women are split into two different categories due to the biological differences between both genders. Nevertheless, there have been historic instances where women have challenged men head-on and won in their respective sports. Let's take a look at some examples.

Danica Patrick is arguably one of the most successful women in the history of American motor racing, and now has a successful career both in and outside the tarmac. Patrick has been racing since her youth and became the first woman to ever win the Indy Japan 300 in 2008. She became the first woman to win an IndyCar Series.

The American driver would go to a 3rd place in the 2009 Indianapolis 500, making it the highest finish by a female in the history of the sport. Furthermore, according to ELLE, she became the first female NASCAR driver to take a Sprint Cup Series pole, during the 2013 Daytona 500.

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Jackie Tonawanda, often referred to as 'the female Ali' was a sensational female boxer from New York. Sadly, due to boxing being a male-dominated sport at the time, she never received enough exposure.

According to ELLE, on Jun 8, 1975, Tonawanda was the first woman to fight in Madison Square Garden, against Larry Rodania. She knocked him out in the second round.

In 2003, Katie Hnida became the first woman to score points in a NCAA D-1 college football game as a kicker for the New Mexico Lobos. Who says women can't play football?

Hninda kicked two points in the fourth quarter against Texas State University. According to ESPN, Hnida was the only second woman to ever dress in a college football uniform in the U.S.

In 1973, the iconic female tennis player Billy Jean King faced Bobby Riggs in what became known as 'The Battle of the Sexes'. 29-year-old King would play the veteran 55-year-old Riggs at the Houston Astrodome.

According to ELLE, there was a $100,000 for the winner. King materialized a great comeback after falling behind during the first set. King would go on to win all three sets, making her one of the first female tennis athletes to defeat a man in an official match.

Chinese player Li Na followed in King's footsteps after her historic win in an exhibition match against the world-class champion Novak Djokovic. Li Na beach Djokovic 3-2 in 2013.

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In 2008, Eri Yoshida became the first woman to ever be drafted by a Japanese professional baseball team. She was just 16 at the time she joined Kobe 9 Cruise.

According to ELLE In 2010, Yoshida became the third woman in history to play in the U.S. male professional league. She joined Chico Outlaws, part of the minor league Golden Baseball League. She was nicknamed "knuckleball princess".

Jackie Mitchell was 17 years old when she faced the New York Yankees on April 2, 1931. She pitched for the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts. She struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig with only seven pitches.

"I don't know what's going to happen if they begin to let women in baseball. Of course, they will never make good. Why? Because they are too delicate. It would kill them to play ball every day," shared Mitchell during an interview.

Carissa Moore is arguably one of the best female surfers on the scene. She has won multiple titles throughout her extensive career, making her one of the most successful female surfers in the history of the sport. In 2007, she won the Quicksilver King of the Groms, a male-dominated competition. Furthermore, Moore was the first female surfer to earn a wild card entry spot into the Triple Crown of Surfing.

Carissa Moore, arguably one of the best female surfers of her generation, has announced she will step away from competitive surfing after the 2024 Olympics. After dominating the Championship Tour with her power moves and explosive technique, she will have one last dance in Tahiti.

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