Babe Zaharias Biography
The biography of Babe Zaharias is filled with athletic triumphs as well as many personal successes. She continues to be known as one of the best female athletes of all time.
Mildred Ella Didrikson Zaharias was born in 1911. Her parents had immigrated to the United States from Norway. Zaharias was born in Texas. She had six siblings. One day, after hitting five home runs in a baseball game, she was given the nickname "Babe" which stuck throughout her lifetime. Zaharias had multiple talents outside the sporting arena. She was excellent at sewing and made many of her own clothes. She even won the championship in sewing at the 1931 Texas State Fair. Besides sewing, Zaharias also was a singer and she played the harmonica. She even released a few songs on Mercury Records. In 1938, she married George Zaharias and became known as Babe Zaharias.
Despite her many talents, Zaharias is best known for her athletic skills. She was an All-American in basketball. She was given a job as a secretary in 1930, simply so she could play on the Amateur Athletic Union team. She lead her team to basketball victory in 1931. She then participated in the 1932 AAU track and field championship. She won five out of eight events, setting five world records in one afternoon. Even though she participated by herself, her talents were enough to win the team championship. By winning the AAU championship, she automatically made the Olympic team of 1932. Because she was a female, she was only allowed to participate in three sports. She won gold medals in the javelin and hurdles. She tied for first in the high jump, but the medal was awarded to the other athlete because the judges liked her jumping style better. Zaharias and her teammate showed great sportsmanship by sharing both the gold and silver medal with each other in high jump.
In 1935, Zaharias began playing golf. In 1938, she competed in the Los Angeles Open, which was a PGA tournament for men. She did not make the cut to continue playing in the tournament, however, she was matched with George Zaharias during the tournament. Eleven months later, they were married.
In the 1940s and 1950s, Zaharias was a golf celebrity. She won many amateur titles, including 17 straight women's amateur titles. She had won every single golf title that she could possibly win by 1950. In 1953 she was diagnosed with colon cancer. She was able to play only a few tournaments a year. She also served as the LPGA president around this time. Her cancer came back in 1955, but even so, she was able to win two tournaments that year. She lost her battle to cancer in 1956 at the age of 45.
Zaharias is well known for her athletic ability, but also for her strength in a time when women weren't supposed to appear strong. She went against the common beliefs of femininity. Some believe this is why Zaharias holds an almost iconic status in the lesbian community, with some believing she was gay or bisexual, despite her marriage to George Zaharias. In any case, Zaharias' continues to receive recognition for her amazing athletic ability. Even fifty years after her death, she is still receiving awards such as the Women Athlete of the 20th century from the Associated Press and second place in the list of the Greatest Female Athletes of All Time by Sports Illustrated.