On the 45th anniversary of Title IX, which has increased sport opportunities for millions of females across the United States, we celebrate 16 female Olympians and Paralympians who also celebrate their 45th birthdays in 2017.
1) Dede Demet Barry, Cycling
Deirdre "Dede" Demet-Barry was originally a member of the U.S. speedskating team before switching full-time to cycling. Throughout her career, she won four U.S. cycling national titles, two world cup races and two world championships medals. After not qualifying for the Olympics in 1996 and 2000, she was able to earn a spot on Team USA and earn a silver medal in the individual time trial at the Olympic Games Athens 2004.
2) Mia Hamm, Soccer
Mia Hamm played for Team USA from 1987 to 2004, winning two World Cup titles and three Olympic medals (two golds and one silver). In total, Hamm recorded 275 caps, 158 goals and 144 assists for Team USA. She was awarded the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2001 and 2002, was one of only two women included in Pele's list of FIFA's best living players and was the first woman inducted into the World Football Hall of Fame.
3) Lisa Leslie, Basketball
A four-time Olympic gold medalist (1996-2008), Lisa Leslie is Team USA's all-time leading scorer, rebounder and shot blocker at the Olympic Games. She also helped the U.S. win two world titles and was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
4 and 5) Emily Lesueur and Jill Savey, Synchronized Swimming
Emily Lesueur and Jill Savey were members of the only American synchronized swimming team to ever win Olympic gold in the team event. In fact, they were the first-ever Olympic champions in the event, as it had just been added to the Olympic program at the Olympic Games Atlanta 1996. Savery also won gold with Team USA at the world championships in 1994.
6) Shelley Looney, Ice Hockey
At the Olympic Winter Games Nagano 1998, Shelley Looney scored the game-winning gold against Canada to clinch gold for Team USA in women's ice hockey's Olympic debut. She added a silver medal from Salt Lake City in 2002, and also won the IIHF World Championship in 2005. In total, Looney played 151 games for Team USA, tallying up 61 goals and 136 points.
7) Sue Merz, Ice Hockey
Alongside Looney, Sue Merz won an Olympic gold in 1998 and a silver in 2002. The defenseman also helped Team USA win six silver medals at the world championships from 1990 to 2001.
8) Tiffeny Milbrett, Soccer
A member of the legendary 1999 FIFA World Cup championship team, Tiffeny Milbrett played 204 games and scored 100 goals for Team USA. In addition to playing in three World Cups, Milbrett is a two-time Olympian. She won gold at the Olympic Games Atlanta 1996 and added a silver four years later in Sydney.
9) Melisa Moses, Diving
In 1994, Melisa Moses won the national title on the 3-meter springboard and 1-meter springboard. A year later, she repeated as the 3-meter champion and then went on to qualify for the Olympic Games Atlanta 1996. At the Games, she finished just off the podium in fourth place.
10) Vicki Movsessian, Ice Hockey
Vicki Movsessian played defense for Team USA at two IIHF World Women's Championships, winning silver both times. At the Olympic Winter Games Nagano 1998, she won gold.
11) Lianne Nelson-Bennion, Rowing
A two-time Olympian, Lianne Nelson-Bennion earned a silver medal as a part of Team USA's coxed women's eight at the Olympic Games Athens 2004. She also won two medals, a gold and a silver, at the World Rowing Championships in 1995 and 1998, respectively.
12) Missy Schwen-Ryan, Rowing
Melissa "Missy" Schwen-Ryan won a silver medal in the women's pair at the Olympic Games Atlanta 1996, and then a month later donated a kidney to her brother. After recovering from surgery and resuming training, Schwen-Ryan made her way back to the Olympics and won a bronze in the same event at the Olympic Games Sydney 2000.
13) Summer Sanders, Swimming
At just 19 years old, Summer Sanders won four medals at the Olympic Games Barcelona 1992. Her two gold medals came in the 200-meter butterfly and 4x100-meter medley, and she added a silver in the 200-meter medley and a bronze in the 400-meter medley. Since her time in the pool, Sanders has worked as a commentator, analyst and host for NBC's coverage of the Olympic Games.
14) Danielle Scott-Arruda, Volleyball
Danielle Scott-Arruda represented Team USA in five straight Olympic Games from 1996 to 2012. During that time, she won two silver medals as a middle blocker (2008, 2012). At the Sydney Games, she was named "Best Blocker" after notching 33 blocks during the competition. She twice won the FIVB World Grand Prix, earned silver at the world championship in 2002, and was named the flag bearer for Team USA at the 2007 Pan American Games. Scott-Arruda was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2016.
15) Gretchen Ulion, Ice Hockey
A forward, Gretchen Ulion scored the first-ever goal in an Olympic women's ice hockey gold-medal game when she put Team USA on the board in the second period at the Olympic Winter Games Nagano 1998. The Americans, including Looney, Merz and Movsessian, went on to beat Canada 3-1 and earned gold. Prior to the Nagano Games, Ulion also won two silver medals at the world championships in 1994 and 1997.
16) Danelle Umstead, Paralympic Alpine Skiing
A two-time Paralympian, Danelle Umstead has won three bronze medals for Team USA in the visually impaired classification, along with her guide and husband Rob. After winning two medals at the Paralympic Winter Games Vancouver 2010, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Umstead continued to ski competitively, made the Paralympic team in 2014 and went on to win her third medal at the Paralympic Winter Games Sochi 2014. Just this year, she earned bronze in the super-G at the World Para Alpine Skiing Championships.
