On breaking the glass ceiling of women in sports...
By contributor Julia Boyd.
“I want to walk so they go on,” NASCAR driver Toni Breidinger says when I ask her what her message is to young girls in her sport.
Breidinger, the first female Arab-American NASCAR driver, is on set today with Olympic gold medalist Sunisa Lee and professional long driver Troy Mullins. The three FP Movement ambassadors are doing a shoot in partnership with Girls Inc., a nonprofit organization that focuses on advocacy, service, and leadership opportunities for young girls and women through mentorships.
“I want to walk so they go on,” NASCAR driver Toni Breidinger says when I ask her what her message is to young girls in her sport.
Breidinger, the first female Arab-American NASCAR driver, is on set today with Olympic gold medalist Sunisa Lee and professional long driver Troy Mullins. The three FP Movement ambassadors are doing a shoot in partnership with Girls Inc., a nonprofit organization that focuses on advocacy, service, and leadership opportunities for young girls and women through mentorships.
Our set is located in the gym of an old elementary school (which has been repurposed as artists’ studio rentals) and there’s a slightly gritty feel to the place, echoing the past through its worn walls and faded floor markings. Watching it transform into a professional photoshoot set is almost surreal.
For each of these women, breaking boundaries in their respective sport is just part of the job.
For each of these women, breaking boundaries in their respective sport is just part of the job.
"
I’m a driver like everyone else. And I don’t see myself as any different — it’s those other people, they might see what’s different,” Breidinger says on the topic of being a woman in a traditionally male-dominated sport. “I don’t want people to treat me like a ‘girl’ on the score, I want to be treated equal."
The athletes, each with different origin stories and backgrounds, offer representation to their sport in unique ways. Breidinger, who fell in love with the sense of freedom and independence that she found from go-kart racing at age nine, says her Arab heritage plays a large part in making her the athlete she is today. Lee, who is the first Hmong-American to win an Olympic gold medal, says she wants to set an example for other Hmong women in terms of breaking traditional gender roles. And Mullins, who strives to be a role model to young women entering professional golf, hopes to break the stereotypes and norms she’s encountered while competing alongside men.
“[My heritage] means a lot to me,” Lee says. “Just because in the Hmong culture there’s a set standard for girls where you have to learn how to cook and clean, take care of the kids. I grew up differently, and I feel like I want to change that standard.”
"
Everybody should have the opportunity to reach for their dreams if they want to...because you are born to make history."
Lee, who took home the gold medal for the women's all-around gymnastics final at the 2020 Olympics, is balancing the success of her Olympic experience while beginning her journey as an NCAA athlete for her college, Auburn University.
“I guess I'm just gonna remind myself that all of this is going to be worth it,” Lee says when I asked her how she was managing all of her current responsibilities. “And I know that right now, I need to take every opportunity I can get. And I’m lucky to just have a really good support system.”
For Lee, she’s ready for campus life, the college experience, and a sense of “normalcy.” After achieving so much at just 18 years old, she definitely is deserving of that.
There’s a lot of hustle and bustle on set as crew members are working towards perfecting lighting fixtures and styling the athletes accordingly. Each ambassador is clad in coordinating FP Movement sets and accessories, weaving in and out of backdrops as the day goes on. There’s fun energy all around as everyone waits for the Girls Inc. team to arrive.
Mullins, who originally got her start competing as a heptathlete for Cornell’s track and field team, went to a driving range one day and just “fell in love with hitting golf balls.” She now competes in the World Long Drive competition, which brings forward the longest golf drivers in the world. For Mullins, who came into the sport “outside of balls,” as she called it, she didn’t have many female role models in the field that she knew by name.
“[Annika Sorenstam and Renee Powell] they’re really big trailblazers in the sport, but you don’t really know them,” Mullins says. “When I got into it, I didn’t really anticipate I would be one of so few.”
“I guess I'm just gonna remind myself that all of this is going to be worth it,” Lee says when I asked her how she was managing all of her current responsibilities. “And I know that right now, I need to take every opportunity I can get. And I’m lucky to just have a really good support system.”
For Lee, she’s ready for campus life, the college experience, and a sense of “normalcy.” After achieving so much at just 18 years old, she definitely is deserving of that.
There’s a lot of hustle and bustle on set as crew members are working towards perfecting lighting fixtures and styling the athletes accordingly. Each ambassador is clad in coordinating FP Movement sets and accessories, weaving in and out of backdrops as the day goes on. There’s fun energy all around as everyone waits for the Girls Inc. team to arrive.
Mullins, who originally got her start competing as a heptathlete for Cornell’s track and field team, went to a driving range one day and just “fell in love with hitting golf balls.” She now competes in the World Long Drive competition, which brings forward the longest golf drivers in the world. For Mullins, who came into the sport “outside of balls,” as she called it, she didn’t have many female role models in the field that she knew by name.
“[Annika Sorenstam and Renee Powell] they’re really big trailblazers in the sport, but you don’t really know them,” Mullins says. “When I got into it, I didn’t really anticipate I would be one of so few.”
This never really bothered Mullins until she began competing and noticed that men would be uncomfortable with the colors she was wearing — or, on one occasion, when she was the only woman invited to a tournament and was asked to leave a lounge because it was “men’s only.”
"
It never discouraged me, because my love for the game is bigger than the social issues."
Mullins didn’t consider herself a role model until parents of young female golfers approached her and told her she inspired their daughters to play. She hopes that the next generation of young golfers continues to be inspired by the women who paved the way for them in the sport.
Each ambassador, in their own way, redefines what it means to “play like a girl.” Breidinger, who speaks of her love for doing hair and makeup, wants to prove how having other passions doesn’t affect her performance on the track. “I try to push those boundaries to show people you can be feminine and taken seriously in the sport...I think we still have a long way to get to that point. You can be wearing lipstick under your helmet and that’s not going to change how you do in the race.”
As the Girls Inc. team arrives, the ambassadors have the chance to sit with the student-athletes that were chosen to participate in the shoot. The two athletes, who were picked based on their commitment to sports, education, and overall personality, had the chance to sit with hair and makeup and get dressed in full FP Movement gear for the shoot. Both student-athletes have been involved with Girls Inc. for over two years, and their personalities shine through from their eagerness to speak about their sport and school day.
While the ambassadors and Girls Inc. student-athletes stand in front of the camera for a stunning group shot, I sit behind and reflect on the stories that I’ve heard today. Representation of all kinds is so vital in any field, but female sports, specifically, have long been overshadowed by those of our male counterparts. There is something to be said about an individual striving against all odds.
The scene of the FP Movement ambassadors standing alongside the later generation of student-athletes, almost as if they are mirroring versions of their younger selves, sends a clear and full message: when you’re truly passionate about something, there is nothing that can stand in your way.
More information about Girls Inc. can be found here.
Each ambassador, in their own way, redefines what it means to “play like a girl.” Breidinger, who speaks of her love for doing hair and makeup, wants to prove how having other passions doesn’t affect her performance on the track. “I try to push those boundaries to show people you can be feminine and taken seriously in the sport...I think we still have a long way to get to that point. You can be wearing lipstick under your helmet and that’s not going to change how you do in the race.”
As the Girls Inc. team arrives, the ambassadors have the chance to sit with the student-athletes that were chosen to participate in the shoot. The two athletes, who were picked based on their commitment to sports, education, and overall personality, had the chance to sit with hair and makeup and get dressed in full FP Movement gear for the shoot. Both student-athletes have been involved with Girls Inc. for over two years, and their personalities shine through from their eagerness to speak about their sport and school day.
While the ambassadors and Girls Inc. student-athletes stand in front of the camera for a stunning group shot, I sit behind and reflect on the stories that I’ve heard today. Representation of all kinds is so vital in any field, but female sports, specifically, have long been overshadowed by those of our male counterparts. There is something to be said about an individual striving against all odds.
The scene of the FP Movement ambassadors standing alongside the later generation of student-athletes, almost as if they are mirroring versions of their younger selves, sends a clear and full message: when you’re truly passionate about something, there is nothing that can stand in your way.
More information about Girls Inc. can be found here.
More To Read
WELLNESS 101
Five Ways To Bring Ayurveda To Your Everyday
Think: timeless approach to wellness.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Want To Stay Healthy On Your Next Trip?
We've got 7 FP Team members to guide you...
WELLNESS 101
The Green Drops That Broke The Internet
And are fixing me right up...