Sporty Gals

I went...I saw...I sat...I found my bike at the CycleWorld show

Alright, so it's a cruiser and not a racing bike.

That's okay...this little Yamaha Star is spicee!

I did see a few bikes that were contenders in their day including the BuddFab Streamliner. Check out those stats! You know you want one!

 

  1937 61 OHV Streamliner

1912 Indian racer

 

SportyGals head to Cycle World International Motorcycle Show

Sherbeam and Laura SportyGals' resident moto racer and genomics specialist... will be scouting the crowds at Cycle World's International Motorcycle show in San Mateo, the weekend of November 17.

Our primary objective... to meet and interview women who make up the pro, semi-pro and amateur moto world. Laura's secondary objective, to take advantage of the demo opps!

The San Mateo show demos will feature bikes by Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki, KTM, Kymco, Spyder, Vectrix and Yamaha/Star.

Want to hear from some of the racers in the meantime? Check out Femmoto.com and roadracinggirl.com.

If you're outside the Bay Area and want to drop by the show, check out the Cycle World International Motorcycle Show site. The show will be making 13 stops across the U.S. for the 2007-2008 season.

featured rider: San Francisco's own Agatha Mondala. Photo courtesy of Femmoto.

Venus Williams + French Open Qtr Final...

Five-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams' (11) quest to take the French Open, ended in quarter final competition against 17 year old Nicole Vaidisova (16) of the Czech Republic.  6-7(5) 6-2 6-3.

The highest ranking American woman to compete in the French Open, Venus was also:

the sole American, man or woman, to make it to week two of competition
the oldest female quarterfinalist, at 25, and...
the last American standing!

"Obviously I'm disappointed," Williams said. "I would have loved to have done better." (photo and quote - AP)

In Nicole Vaidisova, Venus was faced with her own reflection less than 10 years ago... young, hungry and determined.

One consolation, Vaidisova is no young tennis wallflower. She defeated #1 seed Amelie Mauresmo 6-7 (5) 6-1 6-2 earlier on in the Open. So, while Venus was playing with an elbow injury, only played nine matches going into the Open AND while clay courts are her least favorite surface, Vaidisova earned the victory.

"I just kept fighting, you know, getting as many balls back as I could, try to move her around,
" Vaidisova said. "I kept hanging in there even though I lost the first set." (photo and quote - AP)

In other Williams news, sister Serena, who has played just four matches in the last eight months, chose not to play at all due to a chronic left knee injury.

Want more? Visit the Roland-Garros French Open.

Vlogs Are Coming

So, Vloggercon is just a stone's throw from today. What's a vlog and why would I mention it on SportyGals, you ask?

Well...a vlog is basically a video blog. You know, a way to spice things up a little.

Ok, so what! I get a little excited about little tech enhancements.

So, like I was saying...I plan to incorporate vlog entries into the SportyGals blog, but I'm quite the newbie at this vlog thing, so I'm going to Vloggercon. Sounds kind of like a superhero town or something.

Hopefully, you will soon have access to cool video of some of the events, acitivies and teams I like to cover.

That said, the weekend of June 9, my life will be devoted to Vloggercon and all things vlog-like.  Check out their promos. Let's hope I learn something!

FIFA, Soccer Retrospective

Mark your calendars. FIFA’s Women’s World Cup is set for September 10 – 30, 2007, in China.

I’ve never been to China, but it is on my list of future destinations. And the Women’s World Cup finals will occur on my birthday. So, sounds like I’ve got three great events to look forward to in 2007.

I attended my first Women’s World Cup in 1999. I had no idea, when I convinced a group of friends to go, just how amazing the games would be. I wasn’t the only one turned on to soccer. Soon after, the 2000 Summer Olympics and the founding of the WUSA (Women’s United Soccer Association) profession women’s soccer league, in 2001, fueled my newly acquired taste for women’s soccer…and excited thousands of girls and women, who were thrilled to be reflected on the field.  I personally became a season ticket holder of the San Jose CyberRays, and looked forward to each and every home game. Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed when the league folded in 2003, due to lack of financial backing.

There was talk of a relaunch of women’s professional soccer, back in 2004 and 2005, with the founding of the Women’s Soccer Initiative, Inc.... I haven’t heard anything lately.

Look here to catch up on the good ole days of women’s processional soccer, find out about the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup, current team ranking or learn a little about the sport.

[china] [sport] [sports] [soccer] [fifa]

Ladies Buckle your Seatbelts...

is the Today's Show headline for the release of Liz Allison's, "The Girl's Guide to Nascar."

Liz Allison, wife of the late NASCAR driver Davey Allison, tackles the ins and outs of NASCAR — explaining the official point and flag systems, regulations on cars, and how drivers make it to the starting (and finish) line.

She also offers helpful tips to female fans on traveling to and from race events and surviving an entire race weekend with kids, and shares recipes for throwing a great NASCAR viewing party. See the Today Show page for book excerpts. Check out NASCAR for more NASCAR 101.

Women's Sports Foundation Needs You

Looking to change the world, or just improve a girl's life?

The Women's Sports Foudnation is looking for volunteers for its national GoGirlGo! campaign.

The objective is to get 1 million inactive girls moving over the next three years.  What can you do?

• Pledge to get a girl in your life active!

25% of U.S. children are overweight or at risk for becoming overweight, and that number is increasing rapidly, according to The National Institutes of Health.

Why is this a problem?

• Overweight children are more likely to become overweight adults.
• Overweight children are at higher risk for diabetes, high blood pressure and other diseases usually associated with age.

Visit www.GoGirlGo.com or call 800.227.3988, for more information on the GoGirlGo initiative.

Find out what else you can do to support the Women's Sports Foundation.

SacTown Shootout Highlights

Photos courtesy of the folks from the Capital City Hoopsters

The Reno/Sac Funky Monkeys won the women's competition,
defeating the NorCal Hoopsters 63-48.

Check out photo highlights from the 2006 Capital City Hoopsters SacTown Shootout.

Who was the MVP you ask? It was Funky Monkeys' Amanda Levens. Photo anyone?

 

 

 

August's SportyGal...Thu

...during a weekend trip with the Bay Area SheClimbs gathering near Sonora Pass in Tuolomne County. Thu is climbing a 5.8 or 5.9, for those of you wondering.  Just click the photo for a close up.

click photo for a close up

Top 25 Women’s Sports Moments

The Orlando Sentinel talked to leading experts and voices on women's sports to put together a list of the Top 25 Women's Sports Moments of all time.  See if your favorite  moments made it to the.

1. Title IX becomes law

2. Battle of the sexes (Billie Jean King vs Bobby Riggs)

3. 1999 Women's World Cup championship game

4. The Boston (Marathon) Incident

5. Kerri Strug and the 1996 USA Olympic Gymnastics Team

6. Wilma Rudolph wins 3 golds

7. Babe Didrikson Zaharias sets 3 world records

8. True Summitt

9. Gertrude Ederle swims English Channel in 1926

10. Althea Gibson wins 1957 and 1958 Wimbledon singles titles

11. 2004 USA Women's Softball team wins 3rd straight gold medal

12. Sprinter Florence Griffith Joyner shatters world records in the 1988 Olympics

13. Martina Navratilova wins 9th Wimbledon in 1990

14. Gymnast Mary Lou Retton wins gold medals in the 1984 Olympics in

Los Angeles

15. ABL/WNBA form

16. Undefeated 35-0 UConn Huskies capture 1995 NCAA championship

17. Tennessee basketball team goes 39-0

18. U.S. hockey team wins inaugural ice hockey gold medal at 1998 

Nagano (Japan) Olympics

19. Cheryl Haworth wins weightlifting bronze at the 2000 Olympics in 

Sydney, Australia

20. Maria Pepe plays Little League baseball

21. Julie Krone becomes the first female to win a Triple Crown race

22. Janet Guthrie earns top rookie honors at the 1977 Daytona 500

23. In 1976, Shirley Muldowney becomes the first woman to win a  National Hot Rod Association Top Fuel event

24. Manon Rheaume becomes the first woman to play in an NHL game

25. Ann Meyers becomes the first woman to try out for an NBA team

 

Chastain off US Women's Soccer Team

Just as San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales and US Soccer team member Brandi Chastain announce that her Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative will be getting some pretty good support from the city, it is reported that Chastain will be cut from the team for being too old.

Amazing considering I remember Michelle Akers bringing great experience, skills and heart to the team in her forties, but hey, I'm not the coach.

The team's current coach, Greg Ryan, replaced April Heinrichs earlier this year.

In an MSNBC article, Ryan says, “What I’m looking for in future defenders are qualities that she doesn’t possess at this point in her career.”

In the SF Chronicle Chastain responds, "I'd like to be given a chance to be evaluated against the people who have been afforded the opportunity. If I don't stack up, then I don't, and at least I know. I've got a clear head about me."

Chastain’s last game was Dec. 6, 2004 against Mexico at Carson, Calif., the final stop in the 10-game farewell exhibition tour for Hamm, Foudy and Fawcett. Chastain was not invited to the camp for the Algarve Cup in Portugal in March, although it’s not unusual for veterans to miss that tournament. Her absence became notable when she wasn’t invited to this week’s camp, which precedes the team’s first domestic game this year.

 

Team Italia moves on

As reported by Thu AKA -2

All good things must come to an end...or at least make room for the next great thing.

So Team Italia has these final thoughts about its Italian countryside journey.

Photo: the start of the team's last ride together in Castellina...

Most memorable things about the trip..

- Hills and more hills..it's to be expected

- Great way to travel with friends and experiences things together

- We didn't kill each other during the trip.

- Pauline and Susannah...our great hill climbers.
Others..we're huffing and puffing as Susannah would  double back and push us up the hills...

- At the beginning of the trip, we used to run to the bar for a drink and gelato...
now, we run to  the bar for ice and gelato..

as our knees are hurting...

while Pauline and Susannah, who usually arrived before we did, had their laundary done...

and Susannah..her glass of wine..

Report from Team Italia in Tuscany

As reported by Thu AKA -2

Our first ride with a 50Km from Pienza...It's a loop ride to Montopulciano to Monticcheiello then back to Pienza.

The picture was our first stop at Sant'Anna In Camprena monastery...This is where they
filmed "The English Patient"...It was beautiful there...We did one mishap when Roena was trying to clip in...didn't quite made it and started to tip over...at the perfect moment that Pauline rode by...and yes, she knocked Pauline over to the next lane...Pauline who skillfully tuck into a roll...as the the same time a car was coming over hill toward her...Imagine us yelling..hurry up and get up..a car is coming...Otherwise, it was a nice ride along the rolling hills...

Ok, the last 1.5 miles back to Pienza was a killer...
It was uphill like going up to skyline...this is after we rode about 35 miles already...We were all beat except for Susannah who decided to stay in the last town for a hr forsomesightseeing then caught up to us and arrived back in town 15 minutes after we did...She is ready to go down the hill and do it again...

PS.  For those who is wonder who is laying in the picture...that's Pauline..who is taking
a power nap...since didn't get in her 10 hrs of sleep in the night before...

Ciao...till next time...
-the gang

Danica + Indy 500 = Déjà vu

Of her performance, Danica said, ``I made a hell of a point for anybody. I came through the pack twice.'' And she did! So why Danica, why the bikini shoots?!

One of my first blog posts was about the issue of using sex to sell women's sports. So when I started looking at the coverage on Danica Patrick, it was like staring at an issue that probably won't disappear in the near future.

Schizophrenia...on... While I’m thrilled that Danica Patrick is excelling in the male-dominated world of auto racing, the use of sex to market her is a bit bothersome. She posed in bikinis for men's magazines prior to the race to get some air time. I would think having David Letterman as team co-owner would open quite a few door...no?

Some would say, hey, if it advances women in sports and beefs up coverage, it's all for the greater good. I'm a PR person and I still wouldn't want to go there. It's hard enough for many female athletes to be taken seriously as it is.

Danica is talented. No doubt. She has been racing since she was a kid. She kicks A** on the track at more than 200 mph! And, despite a couple of rookie mistakes, she still managed to finish fourth Sunday, the strongest showing for a woman in the Indy 500’s race's 89-year history.

Patrick took over the lead from lap 172 to 194 of the 200-lap race, but was eventually beat by Dan Wheldon who, according to AP sports writer  Paul Newberry, has been the strongest driver on the circuit all year, winning for the fourth time in five races.

But I guess talent just isn't enough.

Jerry Sullivan of The Buffalo News and Kevin Blackistone of The Dallas Morning News  have done a pretty good job of addressing the hypocrisy and annoyance of appearance carrying more weight than ability and performance. Not an issue in men's sports.

Schizophrenia...off...

Newberry says, "Patrick has taken a major step toward shattering the gender barrier for good."

Considering the use of sex to sell, I just hope it's the barrier above and not the barrier below.

 

First Muslim Women Summit Mount Everest

Consider your favorite “Firsts”...

...Imagine being among the first Muslim women to summit Mount Everest

...Imagine being Farkhondeh Sadegh, a graphic designer, and Laleh Keshavarz, a dentist (sorry - no photos of the climbers) the two Iranian women who earned this title Monday morning. They reached the summit, together with six Iranian men, all of whom were among a 21-member Iranian team that included seven women. Their success marked the end of a 10-week expedition where they survived bad weather and an avalanche that injured some of the team members.

Could you image climbing this?!

Another first belongs to Mona Mulepati, who led a three-member team to become the first non-Sherpa woman from Nepal to reach the top of the world. She is Newar, Kathmandu's main ethnic group. This is apparently a big deal because, while Sherpa men have gotten used to the idea of assisting Sherpa women in scaling Mount Everest, they're not exactly interested in more local competition. So I’ve heard.

A couple of Mount Everest tidbits

Junko Tabai of Japan was the first woman to scale Everest...30 years ago.

Fewer than 100 women in the world have climbed Everest.

Mount Everest is actually called Sagarmatha, which means “goddess of the sky”

AIDS/LifeCycle - Alternative to Riding

InfoWorld.com will fade to black from June 5 -11 while its Sr. Editor, Cathleen Moore, takes to the road for the AIDS/LifeCycle. 

Okay, so the pub won’t die, but I’m sure they will miss her as she joins hundreds of other riders pedaling nearly 600 miles to raise money to fight AIDS.

Cathleen has made a commitment to raise $2,500 and she could use your help. If you are not riding, this is a great opportunity to support a rider.

I don’t know if you’ve ever done 600 miles in 7 days, but only a select few do it for fun. Everyone else does it when they really believe in a cause.

Where will the money go?

AIDS prevention services such as:
- HIV educational campaigns and needle exchange

Support services such as:
- a nationwide hotline
- outreach programs
- housing assistance
- financial counseling

Please consider putting your support behind Cathleen in her efforts to make a difference. My grandmother died of AIDs at the age of 60 in the days of unscreened transfusions. No one should have to suffer and die because of this disease…at any age, for any reason.

How can you help?
You can make a donation online at: https://www.aidslifecycle.org/donate/6833

If you prefer snail mail, email Cathleen and she will send you a paper form and envelope.

Maybe she’ll even let you be a sponsor!

Deadline to donate is June 1st.

 

Looking Forward

Want to know where women’s sports is headed? The Buffalo News, yeah I’d never heard of the pub either, but they recently did an article on women’s professional sports over the past 5+ years. The article opens up with mention that the WNBA is celebrating its 9^th season. For me the WNBA’s celebration is a marker for when the NBA helped put the ABL out of business. I was a major fan and season ticket holder of the San Jose Lasers. Sheri Sam, Jennifer Azzi, Kedra Holland-Corn. The fan appreciation events and awesome games – without the arrogance, brawls and juvenile fans. I had never been a basketball fan prior to the ABL. They brought the women’s Olympic team, and them some, into my life. Those who would like to reminisce can check out the San Jose Lasers Observer. Needless to say I was beyond disappointed when the league folded.

Then came the World Cup and the San Jose CyberRays. Women’s soccer was HOT! Again, I became a row 6, just off center line season ticket holder. An incredible opportunity to watch Olympic athletes like fellow SCU alum Brandi Chastain, the Brazilians Katia and Sisi... Every game was packed with incredibly talented, high-quality athletes who played like they really wanted to be there. Unfortunately, the WUSA wasn’t quite able to continue to fund the team.

Looking forward, Tonya Antonucci, CEO of the Women’s Soccer Initiative, Inc. is apparently heading up a relaunch effort. The plan is to have the WUSA back in action by 2006. I am among the many who hope that this time around, the business practice will match the success of the talented athletes who are waiting to get back on the field.

Great Trend in the Muslim World

The empowerment of women through sports seems to be a nice little trend in some Muslim nations these days.

Yemen, set near Saudia Arabia and Oman, recently played host to 33 nations participating in the 3^rd Asian Conference on Women in Sports. The theme of the conference was the empowerment of women through participation in sports and physical education. The Yemeni government, which seems to be a strong supporter of this initiative, even plans to contract female coaches to train Yemenis and improve women’s sports in the tiny nation. The Asian Working Group plans to invite women from Yemen to Japan for training on women and sports, so that they can return home and use sports as a way to empower women in their own country. The event included delegates from Qatar, India and Singapore.

Impressively, Yemen’s Prime Minister Ba-Jammkal stated, “We in Yemen are looking for all ways to eliminate female oppression and sports is one of the things that will help women exert their rights.”

And just in time for what the UN has marked as the international year for sports and physical education, is what must be among the world’s largest all-women sporting events… in Casablanca!

This year organizers of the “Run for Fun” expect to attract more than 20,000 participants. Women from all over  Morocco and several other countries are expected to participate. This year’s race, the 7th “Run for Fun,” just happens to coincide with Who knew?!

Olympic Kayaker...Not

I was trying to figure out what exciting things I could get into this weekend when I happened upon an article AND received a call that reminded me of my first kayaking experience. Hmmm. Must mean something.

While I don't expect to join the ranks of the athletes I watched during the Olympic team trials at Lake Merritt, I can appreciate the time, dedication, sacrifice and passion these and other Olympic-bound athletes must have their sport. I personally like to divide my time and passion among numerous activities.  Thinking about trying it out? Paddling.net is a decent site for finding basic information.

Running 26.2 miles, why not run for a cause?

I have an unusually active bunch of friends. If it's Summer or Fall we're cycling, swimming, kayaking, mountain biking or climbing...Winter, we're snowboarding and skiing...

Thu has had orthoscopic surgery on both knees (hockey), Jen has a couple of marathons under her belt and some of us have a few triathlons to our credit.

I'm not exactly feeling very athletic as I'm in the midst of sipping on an iced mocha right about now, so I've chosen to let you know a little something about my friend Nishat. She will be next to put a marathon under her belt while raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society this September.

So far she's logged more than 300 miles all around the Bay Area (NoCal), consumed 100 gallons of gatorade, chowed on 20 lbs of pasta (angel hair only of course ;-)), and used 50 lbs of ice for her sore muscles...all in the name of raising at least $3,700 for leukemia and lymphoma research.

WANT TO CONTRIBUTE?
If you're interested in helping Nishat meet or exceed her goal, please feel free to contact her directly. She's a great person, pursing a difficult first time marathon to raise money for those who are looking for a cure. You're invited to donate as little as $1/mile!

All donations are 100% tax-deductible. For more info please visit her training page. 

GO NISHAT!!!!