30 Women Making History
In recognition of the 30th anniversary of Women’s History Month, Women’s Media Center is profiling 30 extraordinary women making history.  Our goal is to raise $10,000 to support WMC Exclusives — every dollar raised will go directly toward hiring women writers to comment on major news stories and report topics often neglected by the mainstream media. Will you contribute $30?
Click here to donate: https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/937/t/10343/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=6015 or text WOMEN to 50555 to make a $10 donation.

Julie Foudy: A Woman Making History
by Leslie Von Pless

I recently met Julie Foudy at a brunch for Global Girl Media, an organization with whom the Women’s Media Center is thrilled to be collaborating. Foudy is now the spokesperson with for their project “Kick It Up” in South Africa. Foudy will sponsor one of the 20 high school aged girls participating in the program who are being trained in sports journalism and filmmaking to cover the 2010 FIFA Men’s World Cup this summer. She spoke about the US Women’s Soccer team’s struggle to be taken seriously and how they worked from the ground up to get soccer, female athletes, and women’s sports not only noticed, but accepted by the American public.

I’ve been following Julie Foudy’s career since I was 13 years old. I remember how eye-opening it was watching every game of the 1999 Women’s Soccer World Cup on primetime ESPN, seeing world-class female athletes treated as such, even if only temporary.  Witnessing Foudy and the rest of the US Women’s Soccer team change the role of women’s sports literally one day at a time had a lifelong impact on me, inspiring me to continue playing sports through high school, college and beyond.

In her soccer career alone, Foudy has racked up 3 Olympic medals, 2 World Cup titles, a handful of other world championships and has been inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Pursuing her passion for women’s rights, she has served as the president of the Women’s Sports Foundation and founded the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy, empowering girls to be leaders both on and off the field. Now, she’s making waves as a sportscaster and investigative journalist for ESPN’s First Take and Outside the Lines.

It was an incredible experience meeting Foudy and seeing the great work she’s doing to get women seen and heard in the sports arena. She’s a woman who’s made history and is continuing to shape it today.