Play like a girl

Posted on 7 June, 2017

“Like a girl”

It’s usually a teasing term aimed at boys who are displaying a certain kind of “weakness”: throwing a ball softer or shorter than expected might be met with a “you’re throwing like a girl” jibe. It’s just one of those off-handed remarks which is not necessarily designed to insult any woman in particular, but infers that women are the weaker sex – at least physically. People are increasingly picking up on how derogatory and sexist the taunt is, with one memorable campaign from 2014 turning the term on its head and giving it a positive connotation.

To celebrate such campaigns, and to prove that “like a girl” is a compliment rather than an insult, here are five women who are absolutely killing it:

Michelle Payne

Image via instagram.com/michellejpayne_

During the 2015 Melbourne Cup, Michelle Payne proved that “playing like a girl” means winning. Up against a field of male competitors, who until that day the odds had exceedingly favoured, Payne executed a winning ride which made her the first female jockey to claim the Melbourne Cup. Her post-race words – “I want to say to everyone else, get stuffed, because women can do anything and we can beat the world” – have been quoted innumerable times, and for very good reason.

Serena Williams

image via instagram.com/serenawilliams

As a woman whose appearance does not match stereotypical ideas of femininity, Serena Williams has not only battled against her competitors on the other side of the tennis net. Her outfits have been publicly ridiculed, her exceedingly athletic physique denigrated, and her sheer talent as a sportsperson at times overlooked as a result. Her success is immortalised, though, in the vast number of wins she has accrued; her record of 23 Grand Slam singles titles is unsurpassed by both men and women.

Layne Beachley

Image via instagram.com/laynebeachley

Layne Beachley’s legacy in surfing goes beyond her seven world titles. Developing a career as a professional surfer meant Layne was not only competing for the best wave, but for respect amongst the men she surfed alongside during training. Beachley recalls, in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, that she was “the only girl in the water” and would get “harassed, intimidated, threatened, kicked out of the water”. Beachley’s Aim for the Stars campaign perhaps respects this struggle, with it awarding grants to women and girls disadvantaged in their pursuits, whatever they may be.

Simone Biles

Image via instagram.com/simonebiles

At just 20 years of age, Simone Biles has already achieved enough successes to last a lifetime. Before the 2016 Rio Olympics, in which the gymnast’s talent was debuted on an international stage and was rewarded with four gold medals and one bronze, the gymnast had been the most decorated American female gymnast in World Championships history. After the Rio Olympics, she became the most decorated American gymnast, surpassing the records held by both men and women.

Katie Ledecky

Image via instagram.com/kledecky

Ledecky’s talents in the swimming pool are unrivalled, by women and a whole heap of men. The talented swimmer, who like Simone Giles was propelled to international fame after the Rio Olympics in 2016, has countless successes up her sleeve. Also like Biles, she’s only 20. She has five Olympic gold medals to her name, she’s a nine-time world champion, and she holds the women’s record in the 400-, 800-, and 1,500-meter freestyle. She was also casually named American Swimmer of the Year in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. Michael Phelps who?