Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky — they were all great athletes, some of the best the 20th century had to offer. But none excelled in as many sports as Mildred “Babe” Didrikson, the two-sport Hall of Famer who helped found the Ladies Professional Golf Association and won more consecutive tournaments than any man or woman in U.S. golf history. Born a century ago to penniless Norwegian immigrants in Port Arthur, Texas, Didrikson came of age at a time when professional sports opportunities for women were almost nonexistent. To make matters worse, she was subjected to vicious attacks because of her boyish appearance and brash manner.
Through an almost pathological degree of hard work and a genius for intimidating competitors, Didrikson shone at virtually every sport she tried, including baseball, boxing, swimming, diving and bowling. She was a basketball All-American and won three Olympic track and field medals before finally devoting herself to golf.
