Women in the sports media world often walk a tightrope, and are often ridiculed because of their looks. This is not the case for everyone. Linda Cohn of ESPN has been a trailblazer. Cohn, who was first hired by ESPN in 1992 has become one of the network’s most versatile personalities.
Danica Patrick
Danica Patrick, a NASCAR race driver, is an award-winning driver. She has won multiple championships and was named the sport's most popular driver several times. Danica is a fitness enthusiast as well as philanthropist. Danica has a loyal following because of her beautiful personality and fit body.
Patrick started her career in kart driving, but she soon moved into racing. In 2005, she was the youngest person to win Indianapolis 500. She remains the only female driver who has won the IndyCar Series. She continues to break the female sports record.
Lindsey Vonn
Lindsey Vonn was a well-known skier as well as a world-class competitor. She is among the most decorated women in the history the sport. She is the winner of many world titles including the downhill world title, the three consecutive world championships and the overall world cup championship. She is also a role-model for women in sports.
Lindsey Vonn was brought up in Minnesota. She began skiing as a child. She began competing in races at age seven and soon made it to international competitions. She was a World Junior Champion and a World Cup champion, as well. Vonn won the 2008 World Cup overall title and was crowned champion in 2010.
Michelle Kwan
Michelle Kwan's interest in figure skating began at a young age. She first discovered figure skating when she was five. Danny and Estella Kwan, her parents, were immigrants from Hong Kong, China. The Kwans were reunited at a school graduation. Her father was a telephone company worker, and her mother ran Torrance's Golden Pheasant in California. Michelle began serious training at eight years of age. She would practice for between three and four hours per day. Her family was unable to afford the time commitment.
Kwan hired Rafael Arutyunyan, a noted technician, as her coach in the fall 2003. The pair skated to "The Feeling Begins", the short program, and "Tosca", the long program. Kwan tied Maribel Vison-Owen’s record for U.S. women’s figure skaters with nine titles at U.S. Championships. The following year, Kwan qualified for the Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, where she competed under a new judging system. Kwan was unable to compete at the World Championships because she fell on a triple salchow.
Cari Champion
Cari Champion, a prominent broadcast journalist, is a well-known name in the sports world. She hosts the podcast Be Honest with Cari Champion and anchors the noon edition ESPN's flagship program. She has extensive sports knowledge and experience as a broadcast journalist for multiple networks. In fact, she will speak on the 2019 program track, Pushing the Limits of Human Performance.
Cari Champion grew up in Pasadena, California, and attended UCLA. She is the sister of one older brother and two younger brothers. She has not been married yet, and is not currently in any public relationships.
Li Na
Li Na is a prominent Chinese tennis player. As the daughter to an athlete who saw her dreams thwarted, Li Na rose from humble ashes. Now, she is both one of world's top tennis players and one among the wealthiest women. Until her rise to fame, most of her Chinese compatriots had never seen her play.
She is well-known for her self-confidence as well as her ability inspire young Chinese. But her contributions go beyond the realm of sports. Li Na is also an influential cultural entrepreneur who is influencing the Chinese society beyond sport.