The first I can remember is Gabriella Sabatini although there must have been others, right?
Maybe not. Things weren't shared as widespread as they are now -
cough, "pre-internets"- and so my sources - books, TV, magazines - shaped the world I knew. Gabby was 5'10" of arms and legs - long, toned, bronzed limbs racing back and forth across the tennis court moving cat-like to track down a volley. She was wildly athletic and beautiful and it made me think that Argentina must be a pretty cool place to live.
 |
| Steffi and Gabriella |
Of course, my girl crush on Gabriella made it hard when she faced Steffi Graf in the finals - my other tennis girl crush. (Tennis was big in our household.) Steffi was 5'9" of steely athleticism and determination with a killer set of muscular legs: Germanic perfection - cool, quiet, professional, the best in the game.
Then there was Picabo Street - that name, her story and a world class skier? I was destined to fall. A big, fearless, skier who attacked the downhill courses becoming the first American woman to win back to back season titles. With her freckled face and toothy smile she was the all-American girl with the quirky small-town story and a mindset hell bent on speed. When I met her at the Nike Marathon some years back and introduced myself, she said "You seem familiar - have we met before?" It was as if I'd been transported back to some hole in the wall bar at Sun Valley kicking it with Pic and her gang as if I was one of them after a long day of ripping around the mountain, retelling stories over pizza and beers. Did she see in me the mountain set of friends she bombed the slopes with? I like to think so.
 |
| Picabo Street |
Another skier? Donna Weinbrecht - although she was but a blip on my girl crush timeline because media coverage was but 1/10th of what it is now but way back when - in a year called 1992 - a little girl from New Jersey went out and grabbed the first ever gold medal in the first ever mogul competition at the Winter Olympics. Jersey, baby!
 |
| Donna Weinbrecht, Jersey girl |
And of course, my trifecta of ski chicks wouldn't be complete without Julia Mancuso - the surfer girl, downhill skier, kiss-my-tiara, fun-loving Squaw Valley girl who competes for the US Ski Team. Love her attitude, her tenacity, her kick ass spirit. As a little girl she drew a picture of herself winning a gold medal. You and Kaepernick - seeing the goal so, so early and going for it. Awesome.
 |
| Julia Mancuso |
Nowadays I have girl crushes almost every time I go to some new Crossfit blog and learn about someone who is inspiring and amazing and devastatingly strong. Or I read about the women's US Soccer Team - Abby Wambach love! - or get sucked into watching as much Olympic coverage as possible over the fortnight. Or pour over ESPN's the Body Issue.
 |
| Abby Wambach. ESPN The Body Issue. |
Most recently, at the California 100 River race, I got to meet one of my adventure racing crushes - a woman I read about just as I was first hearing about the Eco-Challenge and the Raid Galloises. She did it all - climbed it, hiked it, ran it, paddled it, swam it, moved it, kicked it - and then she became a fire fighter. How could I not crush? She lived to live big and I was enamored.
 |
| Robyn Benincasa @ California 100 |
She was standing next to me at the check in meeting and just as were disbanding and I'd been playing it over in my head how not to sound like a douchebag, I extended my hand and said "Are you Robin?" She shook my hand and said yes and I said I was a big fan from years back and then I don't remember any of the other drivel that rolled out of my mouth until she asked me my name which, of course, I'd forgotten to give. Her name was Robyn Benincasa.
Girl crushes are awesome, wonderful, inspiring things. I know I'm leaving out names from trail running and biking and ooh - I'd be remiss not to mention Becky Lavelle. An extraordinary triathlete and exceptionally nice person, I had to follow her around as a volunteer after the Treasure Island tri making sure she didn't pee until she peed in the USADA bathrooms. She'd placed top 3 and there was mandatory drug testing. Awkward? A little, but she was utterly gracious as I shadowed her while she went around talking with friends and family. Inner circle? Not quite. I was the gaping slightly chubby sister following her around in awe.
 |
| Becky Lavelle @ Escape from Alcatraz triathlon |
It's a good time to be a girl - with so many exceptional girls doing great things to inspire and lead us. Even as I get older I'm still inspired not only by my peers and the women that go before me but by the younger generations. Alex Morgan, Loren Shealy, Brittney Griner. And Chelsea Clinton? I wish I could buy stock in Chelsea. I'm stoked to be living in a time when someone so composed and smart and self-aware is so notably destined to do great things. Bring it, girls.
Comments