Women’s Sports Foundation’s 2008 Annual Salute to Women in Sports
By Kelsey Koenen
Published: October 14, 2008
View photo slide show from the event
The 2008 Annual Salute to Women in Sports delivered a dose of inspiration and awe to New York City on October 14. More than 70 of the planet’s top athletes and a handful of celebrities -- including award-winning CNN reporter, Christiane Amanpour and Jill Hennessey, star of the television series “Crossing Jordan” -- gathered at the Waldorf=Astoria to celebrate the achievements of girls and women in sports. The event raised more than $1.4 million that will be turned into grants and educational and advocacy-related programming.
“There is one common and very strong thread that unites all of us here tonight - the fundamental belief that each and every girl has the right to equal play. Because when she does, her path to lifelong success on almost every dimension increases exponentially.” said Women’s Sports Foundation Chief Executive Officer Karen Durkin.
The evening kicked off with the Grand March of Athletes, recognizing superstars in more than 50 sports, including 30-plus Olympians from the Games in Beijing. Athletes ranging from swimming phenom Natalie Coughlin to Olympic gold-medal-winning snowboarder Hannah Teter were welcomed to the stage one-by-one by distance swimming legend and NPR commentator Diana Nyad. The climax moment of the March occurred as Billie Jean King, founder of the Women’s Sports Foundation, joined the U.S. National Women’s Softball Team on stage, receiving thunderous applause.
“I’ve never had so many goose bumps on my arms and tears in my eyes than I’ve had tonight,” remarked Hennessey.
Next in the evening’s lineup was the awards portion of the show. Four awards were accepted with inspiring speeches by deserving athletes and supporters of women’s sports in the following categories:
Sportswoman of the Year (Individual): Nastia Liukin
The top honors of the evening in the individual category went to American gymnast Nastia Liukin, who won five medals at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, including the gold for the all-around competition. She became only the third gymnast to win the all-around title. Prior to Beijing, Liukin had eight first-place finishes, six second places and two thirds after three national and international competitions.
Sportswoman of the Year (Team): Jessica Mendoza
An outfielder for the silver-medal-winning U.S. softball team in Beijing, Mendoza is considered one of the world’s best all-around players. Batting third on the team, Mendoza hit .333 in 24 at bats, including four home runs. In overall statistics, she was in a three-way tie for first in stolen bases, ranked second in runs and third in runs batted in.
Wilma Rudolph Courage Award: Patience Knight
This award is presented to a female athlete who exhibits extraordinary courage in her athletic performance and demonstrates the ability to overcome adversity. The 2008 award went to Patience Knight, an All-American thrower from Texas Tech University. In 2008, she won the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships and set a school record with a throw of 56’8”. Her athletic accomplishments are all the more impressive considering Knight was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor near her heart in February 2007. She endured 12 rounds of chemotherapy and 20 rounds of radiation and continued to train and compete. By February 2008, Knight was cancer-free. In June, she received the Honda Inspiration Award.
Billie Jean King Contribution Award: Women’s Tennis Association
This award is presented to an individual or organization that has made significant contributions to the development and advancement of women’s sports in general and to the Women’s Sports Foundation specifically. This year’s award went to the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour and was accepted by chairman Larry Scott. At the 2007 Wimbledon championship, the men’s and women’s champions earned the same amount of prize money for the first time in history. The WTA was recognized for its dedication to advancing equal opportunity and recognition for women in sports.
Additionally, Christiane Amanpour presented a special tribute to the All-American Girls’ Professional Baseball League players for their pioneering athleticism in the 1940s and 1950s. Six players from the league were given a standing ovation as they proudly took the stage - with giant images of their individual trading cards on the screen behind them.
In her acceptance speech, Mendoza tied together her individual success with the mission-inspired bond that united everyone in the room. "Every girl, every young child, needs the love and support of somebody. I was, and am blessed to have that love and support come from my parents, who made a commitment to doing everything it took to see their children have better lives than they did. But not every child has that support. So I challenge each of you here tonight to look at life as not being defined by the medals we wear around our neck, or the promotions we get at work, but rather the difference we can make in the life of someone else. Someone who may not have that support, have not been given the chance to pick up a ball, or even have a field to play on. So pass this torch, get others to think outside the box of their everyday lives and give those opportunties to so many out there that need it.
A special thanks to Co-presenting Sponsors of the evening, Advanta, ESPN and Gatorade, for their support. Additionally, the Women’s Sports Foundation extends gratitude to all the guests, to Getty images for photography and to American Airlines and to the Giant Steps Foundation for helping to make the evening a green event.