Author Description

She was brash. She was bold. She tormented her opponents by predicting she'd win every game, event, or match she was in. Then she backed up her boasts with wins. She once won a track and field meet all by herself, defeating teams with 20 or more members. Success did not come easily. Growing up in a poor family, she worked in a factory sewing burlap bags for a penny each. She loved sports at a time when girls were not supposed to take sports seriously. Kids at her school cheered her teams' victories, but they laughed at Babe's "boyish" ways. Babe was the hero and the outcast. Things didn't get better as Babe grew older. She was named All American in basketball, won medals in track and field in the Olympic Games, and became a champion golfer. For many years, Babe had to fight to play her game and live her life her own way. Through it all Babe held her head high. In the end, she silenced her critics and won the admiration of millions of fans the world over. She paved the way for generations of girls and women in sports.