Babe Didrikson Zaharias

American multi-sport athlete who excelled in golf, track and field, and basketball, winning Olympic gold medals and multiple major golf championships.

Mildred Ella Didrikson Zaharias was born in Port Arthur, Texas in 1911 and became the greatest all-round female athlete in history — winning Olympic gold medals in hurdles and javelin at the 1932 Los Angeles Games before becoming one of the founding figures of professional women's golf. She won 10 major golf championships and 41 LPGA titles across a career spanning 1935 to 1955. Her golf majors: US Women's Open (1948, 1950, 1954), Titleholders Championship (1947, 1950, 1952) and Western Open (1940, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947). At the 1932 Olympics she set a world record of 11.8 seconds in the 80m hurdles and won javelin gold. She also competed in basketball, baseball, tennis, diving and billiards at competitive level. She was named the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year 6 times and voted the Greatest Female Athlete of the First Half of the 20th Century. She was one of the founders of the LPGA Tour in 1950. She was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1953, underwent surgery and won the 1954 US Women's Open by 12 shots, then died in September 1956 aged 45. She is considered by many historians the greatest female athlete in American sports history.

Powerful, aggressive player with exceptional distance off the tee

Greatest female athlete of 20th century, pioneered women's professional golf

• US Women's Open 1948, 1950, 1954
• Titleholders Championship 1947, 1950, 1952
• Western Open 1940, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947
• Olympic Gold 80m Hurdles, Javelin 1932
• Associated Press Female Athlete of Year 6x
• AP Greatest Female Athlete of First Half of 20th Century