Babe Didrikson

"All of my life I have always had the urge to do things better than anybody else" (Didrikson). One of the greatest athletes of all times, Babe Didrikson had achieved numerous wins in various sports. Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson was one of the seven children of Norwegian parents, born in June 26^th 1911 in Texas. Her athletic and competitive life began early in the childhood, and as a superstar high school basketball player, she was recruited to Golden Cyclone's basketball team. Also interested in track and field, she decided to compete at Olympics. After setting records and winning gold and silver in javelin throw, hurdles, and high jump in Olympics 1932, she started to play golf in 1933. Altogether she won 82 golf tournaments, and drove women's golf remarkably further as one of the co-founders of Ladies Professional Golf Association. She was voted as the Woman Athlete of the Half Century. With a strong fight with renewed cancer, she passed away in September 27^th in 1956. Didrikson's hard work, dedication and confidence made her successful and dominant competitor over others in sports.

Babe Didrikson dominated in sports, because she worked and practiced extremely hard, and truly had the will to success. Her ambition and willingness motivated her to practice to achieve her goals: "Ever since Babe read about the 1928 Olympics in her father's newspapers, she decided that she would one day compete in the Olympics in track and field. Every day she would train with her sister, jumping hedges in the neighborhood." (National Women's History Museum.) When Didrikson decided something, she worked hard in daily basis already at young age. Her hard work produced great results! Didrikson's preparation continued to the last moments: "On the long train ride [to Los Angeles Olympics in 1932], she ran the length of the train and did exercises in the aisles, all the way to California. The other girls teased her, but she didn't care. She wanted to be in the best possible shape she could be for her big chance . the Olympics!" (Babe Didrikson Zaharias). Didrikson's will to success was supported by her preparation and ambition to be the best. She worked in the non-best circumstances, all time she had. Her key to success was her desire to win more than others, which she achieved by hard work. Her intense practice has been noticed in the way it should be: "Paul Gallico [.]: 'Much has been made of Babe Didrikson's natural aptitude for sports, as well as her competitive spirit and indomitable will to win. But not enough has been said about the patience and strength of character expressed in her willingness to practice endlessly, and her recognition that she could reach the top and stay there only by incessant hard work.'" ("Mildred Didrikson Zaharias.") The key to success dominantly over others is only possible by working harder than anyone else, as Babe Didrikson did. Her relationship to sports was natural and ambitious. Didrikson's success was totally earned results from her extremely hard every day practice towards her goals.

Babe Didrikson was very dedicated to her job. She lived along golf: "Like every other sport she tried, she decided to be the best. So in 1933 she packed her car, and took Mama and Papa to California. There she practiced golf until her hands bled; she started at early light and worked under lights until midnight. She was determined to be a champion golfer." (Babe Didrikson Zaharias.) Didrikson left her home with her parents moving to better practice circumstances. Her dedication to golf was shown in her hard work. She gave everything or beyond it of herself to the sport. Didrikson did not play for money: "[.] She entered and won the Texas State Tournament. Then the bad news arrived in the form of a letter from the United States Golf Association. They notified her that she was no longer eligible to play in any women's amateur golf tournaments. Babe was stunned. The board had decided that she was a professional golfer, although she had never taken money for her golf. She couldn't believe it." (Babe Didrikson Zaharias.) She was dedicated to golf as a pure passion, she had won tournaments as an amateur but she did not get any prize money. She did not play golf because of the money, only because she wanted to be the master. Babe Didrikson won many tournaments and was overpowering over her competitors. She did everything to be the best, what she definitely earned: "She would drive as many as 1,000 balls a day, take lessons for five or six hours, and play until her hands were blistered and bleeding. In 1947, Zaharias became the first American woman to win the British Ladies' Amateur Championship, at Gullane, Scotland. On one hole she stroked a drive so far that a spectator whispered, 'She must be Superman's sister.'" ("Mildred Didrikson Zaharias.) She was very dedicated through her practice and charging to her career. Didrikson did not play golf or do sports because of money. She greatly wanted to success what she had started and dedicated her time and body to achieve it.

Babe Didrikson stayed self-confident in the middle of success. During Didrikson's career, confidence was an important part to keep it up: "Utilizing her tremendous powers of concentration, her almost unlimited self-confidence (She once wrote: "My main idea in any kind of competition always has been to go out there and cut loose with everything I've got. I've never been afraid to go up against anything. I've always had the confidence that I was capable of winning out."), and her patience, she began to take up golf seriously." ("Mildred Didrikson Zaharias.) Didrikson´s continual winning was possible because of her strong self-confidence. She was very confident already in her childhood, and overtime it determined her success. It was her key to success: "Don Van NATTA: It was at a very young age [when she knew that she had this kind of talent]. At around the age of 12 or 13 she became aware of the Olympics, and she declared that she was going to become the greatest athlete of all time. Now, she didn't say woman athlete, she just said greatest athlete." ("REMEMBERING A 'BABE' SPORTS FANS SHOULDN'T FORGET.") Didrikson was not afraid to be the best. She glowed confidence already at young age, which kept her going forward. When Babe decided something, she achieved it. Her confidence was so powerful that anything could stop her. In the middle of success, Babe Didrikson could keep her head together and feet on the ground. Her confidence advanced her career, without it she could have been in trouble.

"The formula for success is simple: practice and concentration then more practice and more concentration" (Didrikson).  Didrikson's victorious career has been greatly earned and honored, her hard work, dedication, and confidence to achieve goals, has made her a deserving hero. Didrikson's hard working habits from the childhood stayed up to cause great results. Didrikson's dedication to her passion influenced her to keep up working and be dominant in winning. Strong self-confidence kept her strong and as a one piece when needed. Those three specific traits have dug her the way to definite success. Babe Didrikson is an inspiration for me, because looking up amazed to her career and her way to get there, I understand that with a daily hard work and dedication, I can achieve my goals and be better athlete. I have had hard times with my golf game, and learning Didrikson's life gave me more motivation to work and keep going towards my goals. Everyone has their own sport or sector where they want to be good at. Babe Didrikson is an inspiration to look up to and learn from her life.

Works Cited

Babe Didrikson Zaharias." Did You Ever Meet A Texas Hero - Volume 2 (1991): 54. Biography

Reference Center. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.

"Mildred Didrikson Zaharias." Dictionary of American Biography. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons,

1980. Biography in Context. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.

"National Women's History Museum." Education & Resources. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.

"REMEMBERING A 'BABE' SPORTS FANS SHOULDN'T FORGET." Weekend All Things

Considered 26 June 2011. Biography in Context. Web. 24 Mar. 2014.

"Babe Didrikson Zaharias Quotes." About.com Women's History. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Apr. 2014.