Pioneers Breaking Barriers

Sports are beloved throughout the world. We often forget however, of the challenges that many have faced throughout the years in order to break down barriers for future generations. We would like to celebrate some athletes from yesteryear and yesterday who have really made a difference.

Jackie Robinson

First African American player in Major League Baseball

Vonetta Flowers

First Black athlete to achieve a gold medal at the Winter Olympics

Texas Western

1966 - First all-black starting lineup to win a National Championship in college basketball

Willie O'Ree

1958 - First Black player in the National Hockey League

Victoria Manalo Draves

1948 - First Asian American Olympic Champion (Diving)

Wataru "Wat" Misaka

First non-white and first player of Asian descent in the Basketball Association of America, which later became the NBA

Larry Kwong

Broke the NHL's color barrier in 1947

Althea Gibson

First Black player to compete and win at Wimbledon

Manny Malhotra

Only player of Indian origin in the NHL

Wilma Rudolph

Was born premature with infant paralysis caused by polio

Won three Olympic gold medals in 1960

Robert Kelly Slater

Syrian - Lebanese ancestry

Won 11 pro surfing world championships

Ted Williams

Arguably, one of the best hitters in baseball history

19 time all star

Mother was Mexican-American

Roberto Clemente

First Latin American player inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame

Doug Flutie

Heisman trophy winning quarterback in 1984

Known famously for "the pass"

Paternal grandparents Lebanese immigrants

Satnam Singh

First Indian-born NBA player

Jim Plunkett

Only Latino to win the Heisman Trophy

Charlie Sifford

First African American represented in the World Golf Hall of Fame

Marshall Taylor

First African American to win a world championship

In 1899, he won the one-mile cycling championship

Ibtihaj Muhammad

First US athlete to wear a hijab during the Olympics

Became an ambassador in the US Dept of State for Empowering women and girls through sport

Yusra Mardini

Syrian refugee and Olympic swimmer

Appointed the youngest UNHCR Goodwill ambassador ever

Simone Biles

First African American to win the Olympic all-around title in gymnastics

Ramla Ali

War refugee from Somalia

Won the 2016 England Boxing Elite National Championship

Chris Long

NFL Defensive End

Founder of the Waterboys Organization which helps provide sustainable access to drinking water in vulnerable places

Joe Gibbs

Three time NFL Super Bowl Champion coach with the Washington

Founded Youth for Tomorrow, a safe environment for at-risk youth who are the victims of abandonment and abuse