Mildred Didrikson Zaharias took swings in golf and tennis. She ran track. She made a splash in swimming and diving. She took on basketball, football, and volleyball. She did boxing, bowling, skating, and cycling. As for baseball? Zaharias hit five home runs in one game. That got her the nickname “Babe” for baseball player Babe Ruth.
“My goal was to be the greatest ,” Zaharias said. And in many ways, she was!
Zaharias was born in 1911, in Port Arthur, Texas. She was the sixth of seven kids. In 1915, the family moved to nearby Beaumont. Zaharias’s life was full of moves. She was very active. Zaharias skated with her sister. And she would jump over hedges!
Zaharias played many sports in high school. Those include golf, tennis, volleyball, and basketball. She at all of them. Zaharias joined a women’s basketball team and earned honors. But she got gold in another sport — track and field!
Zaharias made it to the 1932 Olympics. She won gold medals in hurdles and the javelin throw. She got silver in the high jump. Zaharias broke world records.
Still, Zaharias is most famous for golf. She won 82 tournaments. Zaharias co-founded the Ladies Professional Golf Association.
Experts named Zaharias Female Athlete of the Year six times. And in 1950, they voted her the Woman Athlete of the Half . In the past, women weren’t thought of as strong. Zaharias proved they are.
In 1953, doctors told Zaharias she had cancer. The athlete had surgery and got back to golfing. In 1954, she won her third U.S. Women’s Open! Zaharias spread awareness of cancer. She encouraged people to get checked for the disease. Sadly, Zaharias died in 1956. She was 45 years old.
Zaharias’s legacy has kept on moving. The athlete is known as one of the greats. There’s a park and museum for her in Beaumont. Some cities have golf courses named after her.
Zaharias also left some advice. “The formula for success is simple: practice and ,” she said. “Then more practice and more concentration.”
Updated March 2, 2023, 5:01 P.M. (ET)
By Ashley Morgan
