This year the Olympics are a must watch, not only to root for your favorite country but also to see the amazing women participating! These women represent some of the firsts to occur in their sport and will serve as inspiration for generations of young Olympic athletes.
1. Jazmine Fenlator-Victorian, Carrie Russell
It’s been 30 years since the first bobsled team from Jamaica debuted in the Winter Olympics, the famous men that inspired the Disney movie Cool Runnings. However, this is the first female bobsled team to ever come from Jamaica. As a proud Jamaican woman, I’m rooting for them till the end! The driver of the sled, Fenlator-Victorian, talks below about how she wants to serve as inspiration for little girls all across the world.
“It’s important to me that little girls and boys see someone that looks like them, talks like them, has the same culture as them, has crazy curly hair and wears it natural, has brown skin-included in different things in this world” Jazmine Fenlator-Victorian #PyeongChang2018 pic.twitter.com/9vfJ0FK1wL
— Jamaica Bobsled Team (@Jambobsled) February 10, 2018
2. Akuoma Omeoga, Ngozi Onwumere, Seun Adigun
This three woman bobsled team will be the first bobsled team to ever come from the continent of Africa. Representing Nigeria in the olympics, these women carry the weight of being firsts with pride and show their patriotism at every moment. Adigun isn’t new to the Olympics, she also ran track in the 2012 London Olympic Games. These women aren’t playing about their education either, Adigun completed a dual degree of a Doctorate of Chiropractic and a Masters of Science in Exercise & Health Science. Onwumere is also pursuing a Doctorate degree.
@NBCOlympics
3. Mirai Nagasu
This American figure skater has been waiting a long time for this moment after being left off of team USA for the Sochi Olympics. Though deferred, this figure skater dream finally came true after making team USA for the PyeongChang Olympics and becoming the first American woman to complete a triple axel at the Olympics. Only two other women have landed this move, Midori Ito and Mao Asada. I’m sure that people from both America and Japan are rooting for this now legend.
"HOLY COW!" You just witnessed a historic triple axel from Mirai Nagasu. #WinterOlympics https://t.co/NsNuy9F46h pic.twitter.com/jCMTb4LtXv
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 12, 2018
4. Chloe Kim
Being called one of the best snowboarders of all time, this is this 17 year old’s first time at the Olympics. The age difference doesn’t matter once on the snow because she has already won the Gold medal for the women’s snowboarding halfpipe. In addition to the gold, Kim is now the youngest woman to ever win an Olympic snowboarding medal.
Chloe Kim @chloekimsnow
