For many working women it is often difficult to build the confidence and courage needed to speak up in the office. Whether it’s making a suggestion about how the office is run, having access to equal pay or fair treatment, or handling misconduct from colleagues, women often have a difficult time finding and using our voices at work. What’s worse is that many of those voiceless women don’t know how to develop their voices and become the badass women they were designed to be. Fortunately for them, the world of sports is filled with many badass women from whom they can take notes and learn how to be badass women in their own right. Everywhere you look in sports, women are taking risks and building the courage to speak up about the issues that are important to them.
Badass Gymnasts
Rachael Denhollander, Aly Raisman, Jordan Wieber, Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Gabby Douglas, and hundreds of other Olympic gymnasts recently took a courageous and public stand against their sexual abuser and former USA gymnastics team doctor, Larry Nassar. A seven-day hearing was held in which more than 150 victims confronted Nassar and bravely spoke out about their assault. Because of the young ladies’ fearless act to come forward and stand together in the decision to take down their abuser, no more young girls will be added to the list of Nassars’ victims.
Lesson:
There is strength in numbers. Look around for support from the other women in your workplace. Your shared experiences and points of view can be combined to a collective, powerful voice!
Badass Basketball Players
The women of the WNBA have taken protesting and using their collective voices to champion social justice to an amazing level. Over the past two years they’ve engaged in verbal and nonverbal peaceful protests in support of the LGBTQ community and ending racism and police brutality. One such protest involved wearing black t-shirts in support of the #BlackLivesMatter movement instead of team uniforms for warm-ups and pre/post-game activities. This move earned players a $500 fine; however, the players’ protests of the fine led the League to rescind the fine, showing that the women were professional ball players and advocates.
Lesson:
Don’t let your job title stop you from being active in issues outside of work that are important to you. If you want to be a badass make some noise inside AND outside of the workplace and watch your power at work grow.
Badass Tennis Player
If you still need some inspiration to be a badass at work, look no further than the incomparable Venus Williams. In addition to being an amazing tennis star, Venus, big sister to Serena, has long been an advocate for causes that have implications beyond the tennis court, namely equal pay for women. In the mid-2000s Venus made equal pay her mission working with Billie Jean King and others and putting equal pay at the forefront of her major conversations and writings. Because of her relentless pursuit she is credited with being one of the main driving forces behind securing equal pay for women at Wimbledon. She continues to champion equal pay and the sports world and world in general are a better place for it.
Lesson:
When you find your passion and your purpose (even if it’s unpopular and brings many obstacles), pursue it relentlessly and watch you morph into a badass.
Being a badass is not just about dominating physically in your work force, but conquering the adversity and opposition you face while positively influencing others. Because each of these women decided to unite with other women and pursue their goals unapologetically and with vigor, they will go down in history as badass women. You can do the same. Step out and go for the things that you feel strongly about and watch the badass in you arise.
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