Philobiblon

I have just been reading about the American athlete Mildred “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias, who deserves to be celebrated as a predecessor of Michelle Wie.

After winning two golds and a silver at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1932, Zaharias turned pro…

… touring with basketball and baseball teams, playing billiards and golf; she even pitched a shut-out inning for a major league baseball game (in spring training). She won a diving championship, swam at record-setting pace, and mastered or at least tried lacrosse, soccer, handball, fencing, cycling, volleyball, bowling, boxing and ice skating. Eventually, she focused her efforts on golf and tennis, and made a good living in tournaments and exhibitions. In 1938, she was the first woman to play in a men’s PGA tournament. She co-founded the Ladies’ Professional Golf Association (LPGA) in 1948.

(From the Yahoo Born On This Day list, which features a new woman each day. Thanks Penny!)

Now I’ll whisper this quietly (Hi Tony), but I have been watching some men’s sport – the World Cup Australia v Italy. Sadly, however, I’m unlikely to be watching any more Cup games, after this result. (My Blogcritics report.)