Rebel Girls Champions: 25 Tales of Unstoppable Athletes

Once upon a time, women weren’t allowed to compete in the Olympic Games. The president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) declared that sports were too “violent” and inappropriate for ladies. That’s ridiculous, thought Alice. She knew that women were strong and fast-and competitive too.
Born in France in 1884, Alice studied to become a teacher and translator. But what really made her feel alive was playing sports. Swimming, hockey, and rowing helped her body grow stronger and her mind grow sharper. And she knew she wasn’t the only one. Sports were good for everybody!
In 1919, Alice asked the IOC to include women in the track and field program. They said no. So she started her own organization, the Fédération Sportive Féminine Internationale (FSFI). Three years later, they organized a big one-day sporting event just for women.
Around 20,000 fans came to watch 11 events in a stadium near Paris. Athletes from Czechoslovakia, France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States ran, jumped, and threw shot puts and javelins. By the end of the day, 18 world records were broken!