Friday, March 5, 2010

The coolest women you've probably never heard of...

Someone once said history is written by the winners. I'd like to make a minor correction - it is written by the winning side's major players. Nearly all of the "little people" involved in the big events get lost in the chronological shuffle. All three of my stories today examine the smaller players in macro themes or events.

A 12 year-old Chilean girl saved hundreds of her countrymen and women when she sounded a town alarm just before the tsunami struck her archipelago. The Latin American Herald Tribune reported on Martina Maturana, who learned of the earthquake from her grandfather who lived on the mainland. Just before the ensuing wave hit Robinson Crusoe Island, Maturana ran to the town square, rang the gong to wake up the residents and get them to move to higher ground.

Forbes posted an article on 20 inspiring women to follow on Twitter. I'm on Twitter, but I've yet to see the usefulness of it. I follow a few witty people, but the whole thing is a bit lackluster to me. Perhaps with the addition of a few of these women, I will find the site more relevant to real life. The article highlights women who have made positive contributions to the discussion of race, gender equality in traditionally male fields, healthy eating habits for children and space travel.

Speaking of gender equality in traditionally male fields, Rick Reilly has a column on ESPN.com profiling Kelly Kulick. Featured on ESPN and still don't know who she is? You're not alone. Kulick became the first woman to win a men's Professional Bowling Association tour title, and the only attention she's gotten over it was a free hair coloring at a local salon. Her achievement has never happened in the history of ball sports, and yet I don't remember a mention of it anywhere when it happened.

(Photo courtesy of ESPN.com)

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