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Foudy, Lobo, Hilliard,
Marciniak and Miller |
On Tuesday, July 7, 2009, at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa., the Women's Sports Foundation presented its first "Celebration of Women in Sport" that coincided with the kickoff of the
2009 U.S. Women's Open. The event featured five champion athletes who provided their own special brand of inspiration and athletic advice for fans of all ages. A kids' clinic, hosted by Hall of Fame gymnast Wendy Hilliard, followed by a photo and autograph session, allowed attendees to get up close and personal with female sports legends.
Julie Foudy, a three-time Olympic medalist and a two-time World Cup champion in soccer, shared with the crowd what sports has brought to her life. "There is not a day that goes by that I don't call on the confidence I gained through sports. Whether that is me on TV or being a mom, that is what the Women's Sports Foundation does," she said.
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Miller addresses the crowd |
Shannon Miller, the most decorated American gymnast in history, echoed Foudy's sentiments regarding the Women's Sports Foundation and the work it does for girls and women across the country. "The Women's Sports Foundation is about getting kids active. The opportunities they provide gives so many kids across the country opportunities," she said.
"This is not just about women's golf," said Mimi Griffin, executive director of the 2009 Women's U.S. Open. "Today is about women's sports and the athletes you see here today are women of achievement." Those women of achievement are as follows:
As guests of the Women's Sports Foundation:
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Hilliard signs autographs
for young fans |
Wendy Hilliard is
a nine-time U.S. rhythmic gymnastics national team member, two-time co-captain, USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame member, and former president of the Women's Sports Foundation. She was the first African-American to compete on the U.S. National Rhythmic Gymnastics Team (1978).
She represented the United States in more than 15 foreign countries and three world championships. A national and international gold medalist, she retired from competition in 1988. She went on to become a U.S. national team coach for four years and coached an athlete, Aliane Baquerot, to the 1996 Olympic Games.
Shannon Miller, the most decorated American gymnast, male or female, in history, won more Olympic and world championship medals than any other American gymnast. Miller is a seven-time Olympic medalist and nine-time world champion. She has won an astounding 59 international and 49 national competition medals, with more than half of them gold. Miller captured two gold medals at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta when she and her teammates made history as the first U.S. team to win gold.
Julie Foudy is a three-time Olympic medalist and a two-time World Cup champion. As Public Policy Officer for the Women’s Sports Foundation from 2005-2006, she has worked to address equity issues on all levels of sports. She was the vice president at-large of the Women’s Sports Foundation Board of Trustees (2000-2005) and is a former president of the Foundation (2000-2002). Foudy captained the U.S. National Women’s Soccer Team for 13 of the 18 years in which she was a member.
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Lobo and her daughters
Siobhan, 6 and Maeve, 4 |
As guests of the USGA:
Rebecca Lobo has been touted as one of the best women's college basketball players in history. She led the University of Connecticut to a 35-0 record and its first national championship. Lobo earned the Naismith and College Player of the Year awards. She spent the next year and a half playing with Team USA, which won gold at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, and later played several seasons with the New York Liberty in the WNBA. Lobo is now a sideline reporter and basketball commentator for ESPN.
A native of the Lehigh Valley,
Michelle Marciniak graduated from the University of Tennessee after being named Final Four MVP as a member of the Lady Vols' 1996 national championship team. Marciniak played in the WNBA for the Portland Fire and Seattle Storm and was an 11-year veteran of USA Basketball and an assistant coach for the University of South Carolina women's basketball team from 2003-2008. Marciniak co-founded SHEEX, a company focused on bed linens made from athletic performance fabric.
More about the 2009 U.S. Women's OpenLearn about the U.S. Open's Adopt-A-Player program for third- and fourth- grade students.