Mildred “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias had no peer as a record-breaking, Olympic medal-winning female athlete in the early 1930s. Then she turned to golf and found success there before founding the Ladies Pro Golf Association.
Zaharias was one of a kind, a natural at whatever she tried in the sporting realm. As we celebrate women’s contributions to history, culture, sports, and society every March during Women’s History Month, Zaharias is a legendary figure in the world of sports.
She Had a Simple Goal
Born in Texas in 1911 to Norwegian immigrants, Zaharias was a self-described tomboy who played basketball, golf, baseball, tennis, volleyball, bowling, billiards, and handball. She also competed in track and field, swimming, diving, boxing, skating, and cycling.
She thought about one thing, her goal being to be the “greatest athlete who ever lived,” she said.
She accomplished her sporting feats at a time in the U.S. when women athletes weren’t viewed favorably. Some writers in the press criticized her for not being feminine enough. Others marveled at her athletic prowess.
An Olympic Champion
While working for a Dallas firm, she played on the company basketball team from 1929 to 1932. Already she was known for her home run-hitting ability on the neighborhood baseball fields, earning her the nickname “Babe” that stuck with her.
Inspired after reading about the 1928 Summer Olympics, Zaharias started training on her own with her sister. At the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, California, Zaharias won a gold medal after setting a world record in the javelin.
She wasn’t done though. Zaharias set a world record the next day in winning gold in the 80-meter hurdles, and a disputed silver in the high jump; she tied for the win, but the judges disqualified her technique and handed her a silver.
A Golfing Savant
Zaharias began her golf career in 1933. From 1943 to 1947, Zaharias won 17 consecutive amateur tournaments in a row. Despite turning pro in 1947 and winning 17 of 18 tournaments, her options in golf were limited. In 1949 Zaharias joined with Patty Berg to co-find the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA).
She soon was earning $100,000 annually from golf tournaments and endorsements, the equivalent of about $1.3 million today. But in 1953 she was diagnosed with cancer. Although she won the U.S. Women’s Open by 12 strokes in 1954 and was named the AP Female Athlete of the Year for the sixth time, her cancer soon spread.
Zaharias died in 1956 of cancer at the age of 45.
A CARING-FIRST ENVIRONMENT
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