Meghan Kendrick
Martin 1
English Honors
28 September 2017
Tonya Harding Tonya Harding is known as one of the infamous athletes in American history. She's known more for the despicable act she committed against a fellow competitor than for her athletic ability. Tonya Harding was an Olympic hero, but was implicated in the Nancy Kerrigan attack, and was forced to find a way to bounce back. In her early days, Tonya Harding was an amazing athlete. She was the first American woman to land a triple axel in competition for figure skating. It was a big deal. Tonya was one of the best female figure skaters in the country. She even dropped out of high school when she was a sophomore to be a better figure skater. According to “Tonya Harding biography.com,”
The following year, she was promoted to the U.S. Nationals, where she won her first major title and qualified for the 1994 Olympics. After Kerrigan qualified for the Olympics, Harding’s jealousy started to intensify. Nancy Kerrigan was painted as the ideal athlete, coming from a quiet and respectable upbringing. Kerrigan started to acquire many commercial endorsements, allowing her to become wealthy. Tonya Harding was very jealous. She wasn't painted as that picture-perfect athlete, she was just one of those people who skated. After some time had passed, her jealousy got the best of her and she realized that the only way for her to become famous was to eradicate her competition. With the help of her husband (at the time) and her bodyguard, Tonya helped orchestrate an attack on Nancy. An article in the New York Daily News titled “New Evidence Emerges in Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan Scandal” provides evidence of Tonya’s involvement in the attack. The source states, “An envelope featuring handwritten notes by former figure skater Tonya Harding has surfaced,” and goes on to explain that enclosed in the notes were the address and name of the rink where Nancy Kerrigan usually practiced. Some commonly known information is that one day after she was finished with practice, Nancy Kerrigan exited the rink at a Detroit
According to biography.com, in between 1994 and 2002 Harding guest starred on TV shows like Roseanne, Larry King Live, and The Weakest Link. Following that, in 2003, Harding made her professional boxing debut. Her career was short-lived, but she was trying to make something out of life and to center her anger/jealousy in an aggressive, but appropriate, way. biography.com also said that Tonya’s website makes it clear that she still skates. She can still land a triple axel; she wanted to be herself, and she does that through skating. In her own words, “I don't want to compete. I’d like to have my own skating show, though.” This shows that she has bounced back from her dark place. She has continued to do what she loves, even though she can't do it competitively. That doesn't matter to her. She stays true to herself and continues to
she was the first person to go through university, and she smacked an insane dictator.
Gabby Douglas was the first African-American female gymnast in Olympic history to become the individual All-Around champion. In the 2012 Olympic Games, she won gold in the team competition and the individual competition. She is a gymnastics phenom. From the beginning of her career to where she is today, she has been a true trooper through everything. Gabrielle Douglas is an inspiration to me and many others because she overcame being homeless,moved in with a new family, and won Olympic gold in gymnastics.
A dancer, singer, activist and spy, Josephine Baker was a star and a hero. Baker grew up poor, but her rocky start did not hold her back from success. Baker had major achievements for a black woman in her time; she was the first African-American to star in a major film. Baker was first to integrate a concert in Las Vegas. Even though Baker got her start during the Harlem Renaissance, her true claim to fame was her success in France. She was the first black woman to receive military honor in France. Since Baker was so successful in Europe, she was able to spy for the French resistance during World War II. Although Baker was very successful in France and had found success during the Harlem Renaissance, she was not welcomed in the United States due to segregation and racism. Racism did not stop Baker from being a part of the Harlem Renaissance.
Her lasting career was not given to her easily, therefore, creating an inspiring story full of hardships and success. Ever since she was a little girl, her dream was to become a successful and famous dancer. In New York City, when she was trying to fulfill her dream, she was unable to find a job in the theatre department. Instead of being discouraged, she decided to make something good come from it. She choreographed her own routines, created her own costumes, and organized solo recitals for audiences to enjoy. This event led her to the biggest adventure in her life that would later impact the world. She was invited to return back to London to pursue her education in the performing arts, so that she could further improve her talents that would make up her entire career.
She was known worldwide for many things. She was an American poet, memoirist, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry. She was credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She was and still is a woman that people look up to. Many people know her as Maya Angelou.
She became very famous because during her time not many women had ever dared to do such thing. Many people started writing about her in the newspaper, about her great audacity, her courage and great achievements. As Susan Butler wrote in her book “The life of Amelia Earhart” which could not have given a better explanation for why Amelia was so recognized, she wrote, “She [Amelia Earhart] was a feminist that appealed to men as well as women because she used her promotion to promote not women’s causes but women’s self-esteem.” Amelia had really been noticed and that impacted her life greatly as she was able to share and promote her feelings, views, and ideas through the newspapers with some of the poems that she wrote. The poem Courage by Amelia Earhart published in the newspaper “Who is Amelia Earhart?” says, “How can life grant us boon of living, compensate for dull gray ugliness and pregnant hate unless we dare.” This shows Amelia Earhart’s strong thoughts and views as she believes we must dare to do something if we want to obtain it, not all things are obtained easily and we have to work hard. Not only was Amelia able to promote her thoughts and feelings but according to Susan Ware in her book Still
Without a doubt there is one major performer that certainly stands out within our pop culture world. The name of this very famous American icon is, Dolly Parton. Dolly has surpassed any rags to riches story that ever lived. She has touched the lives of so many individuals over many decades through her many talents. Dolly started her career at a very young age and continued fulfilling her life endeavors through country music, pop music, and even acting. This American icon didn’t stop with just her talents, she also gave back to our society through charity, fundraising, and establishing her own theme park. Dolly Parton was brought up in a very poor family, however through much dedication she became the famous icon everyone idolized today.
Harriet Tubman is an important figure in American history. She is remembered for her work as an abolitionist, respected for the risks she took helping the Union Army during the Civil War, as well as honored for the lasting gifts she left behind for the people of her country. Harriet Tubman may be considered a hero by many men and women, for her example of bravery and self-sacrifice is inspiring people of all races.
Tony Hawk has challenges and problems. He failed many contests. It made him work even harder and made him more- determined to win. Because of all his daring tricks he broke his two front teeth, his finger, and his elbow. He needed to get better because all of the things he broke. When Tony got divorced he got set back from skateboarding because the divorce took a while to go through. Because of all these challenges and problems Tony Hawk couldn’t
You know she's a Jackson. And you know she's a singer. Of course, you know the girl can dance. You know she's a leading lady in Hollywood. And maybe you still think of her as a cute little girl with a famous last name and big , bright eyes. Do you think she's what she was yesterday? Better think again. As many of her other fans and followers already know, the only label that fits her is… Janet.
Kyniska was born around 440 B.C.E in Sparta, an Ancient Greek city-state. She was the daughter and princess of a Eurpontid King, Archidamus II (“Genus Kyniska”, n.d., p.2). She was well known for one thing and one thing only, her Olympic victory. She won the 96th and 97th Olympic chariot race based off of official records (supportforstudents.msu.edu, n.d., p.1). She was also well known for a famous quote that was documented during one of her winning ceremonies.
Amelia Earhart was a feisty, young girl when she saw her first airplane. Little did she know that her small interest in planes would develop into a full-on passion. Amelia grabbed the hearts of people around the world when she became the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Other than just being an aviator, she was a pioneer and an author. Amelia is a symbol of perseverance and power to American women. Still today she is one of the world’s most celebrated and respected aviators.
It is evident that Jesse Owens proved to the world what no one at the time believed could be achieved. At a time when Blacks were not equal, there was no appreciation possible in the eyes of the Americans until the civil rights movement following after the cold war. Jesse Owens dealt with much more than any African American could ever imagine. Regardless of his immense achievements, Owens did not receive recognition for such important winnings until several years after the 1936 Olympics. Despite the hate that Owens received, he was able to surpass such negativity by being involved in other organizations and through this, Owens was victorious not only on the track but also as normal human being.
...acknowledged as the greatest women mathematician of the 1900’s, even though she had to go through many obstacles and chauvinism. She was the first women to be accepted into a major college. She proved many of the stereotypes that women were considered to be erroneous, which in the long run also made her a famous person. She was the one who discovered the associative law, commutative law, and the distributive law. These are the Laws that make the basics for Algebra, Geometry, and Basic math. All together she has unquestionably earned the title as the most famous woman mathematician of the 1900’s.
Harriet Tubman was a woman who cared for others and she also was a hero to many blacks. She had an extremely hard life although it eventually got better for Harriet. She was a very lucky and intelligent girl. However, as a child growing up, she was small, slow and was picked on because of it. She was able to make history even though she was a slave, and for a slave she held her own for a long time enduring beatings and whippings.