For the past two weeks, my eyes have been glued to the TV, watching the greatest athletes in the world compete at Rio in the Olympic Games. I can remember, from the time I was a little kid, watching these men and women lay it all out there on the track or in the pool. Their successes, dedication, and personal stories are incredible and inspiring. They have pushed me to chase my own dreams in all things, especially as an athlete.

However, I began to notice something as I grew up: male athletes are recognized much more than female athletes. Why was it only the names of male athletes that I remembered? Why do I never see any WNBA games on TV? It always seemed to me that male athletes and teams are shown and talked about in the media much more than their female counterparts. For me this was disheartening. I asked myself: would I ever be able to achieve the same kind of greatness that Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt have?

Things are certainly progressing, as more and more female athletes are participating in the Olympics and are kicking butt while doing so! In the last Olympic Games in London, the number of female athletes from the United States outnumbered the men for the first time. (269-261). This year, the United States alone has 554 athletes competing at Rio, the majority, 292, are women (U.S. Female Athlete Participation ). As of Friday, the women have won 55 medals for Team USA out of 105 total medals (Official Medal Count ). That’s more than half of our medal count!

The American women have dominated in these Olympic Games and deserve recognition for all of their achievements. So what happens when the Olympics are over? Will female athletes once again fade into the background until the next Olympics or another world sporting event comes around? I certainly hope not. Today, I (and hopefully the rest of the world) know and will remember the names of Katie Ledecky, Allyson Felix, Simone Biles, and many more female Olympic athletes.

These women have become an inspiration for all, especially other young aspiring female athletes. This is seen in all that they have achieved, the medals that they have earned, the sportsmanship that they have shown, and the records that they have broken. These women have showed and reminded me that I have the power to swim towards my goals, sprint after my dreams, and fly through the air to success in all that I do!