The 135 Challenge Blog
Today’s coverage of women’s sports lacks depth and development. We’re missing the narrative. We’re missing the characters. We’re missing the whole story.
Sports coverage needs dynamic characters.
People who love sports love more than just the game. We follow athletes and teams because we can follow the storylines. We know and identify with the characters.
Tom Brady, an underrated underdog turned top dog.
LeBron James, the redeemed king.
Cristiano Ronaldo — hero or heel?
But most people don’t know the characters in women’s sports.
Media coverage of women’s sports is so slim and surface-level that unless you are already a superfan, you probably don’t know much about even the top women athletes in the world.
Without developing the characters and narrative, it’s almost impossible for the average sports fan to become invested in the stories, the characters, and the narrative of the athletes and their teams.
With the 135 Challenge, I’m trying to change that.
For the next 135 days, I’m spotlighting one important woman in sports every damn day while training for the Badwater 135 mile race.
Many of these women inspire me, and I believe that if you knew more of their stories, they’d inspire you too.
My goal is to tell you who these athletes are—their athletic accomplishments & character archetypes—so you follow their stories, long after my race is run.
March 7th - July 19th, 2021
135 Badass women & 135 days of training for the Badwater 135.
While training for this year’s Badwater 135 footrace, I’m spotlighting 135 women in sports.
You better recognize.
Naomi Osaka - The Innocent
Day 124/135. Naomi Osaka has missed the French Open and Wimbledon to take care of her mental health. She’s a different kind of athlete, dominant on the court, but soft in the heart.
Mary Lou Retton - The Innocent
Day 120/135. In the 1984 Olympics, Mary Lou Retton was the first American woman to win the all-around competition. She became America’s sweetheart and paved the way for future champions.
Lindsay Webster - The Innocent
Day 63/135. Lindsay Webster has won the Obstacle Course Racing world championships 3 years in a row. She can flip tires, scale obstacles, and push herself to new heights. But she’s as known for her kindness as she is for her dominance on the circuit.
Chloe Kim - The Innocent
Day 56/135. Chloe Kim was the youngest woman to win a snowboarding gold, and she did it with STYLE. But even this American hero can’t escape the anti-Asian hate from racist trolls.
Charli Collier - The Innocent
Day 48/135. Thanks to her size, skill, work ethic, and motor, Charli Collier was the first pick of this year’s WNBA draft. By achieving her dream, her late father, Elliott, is sure to be proud of his daughter.
Katelyn Ohashi - The Innocent
Day 47/135. In 2019, Katelyn Ohashi’s perfect 10 floor routine went viral. But the joy and power she brought to the routine was only possible because she had stepped away and charted her own path.
Hope Trautwein - The Innocent
Day 43/135. University of North Texas pitched Hope Trautwein just did something never been done before. She pitched a perfect game—no hits, no walks—on ALL strikeouts. 21 up, 21 Ks. And she didn’t even know she was doing it.
Kendall Coyne Schofield - The Innocent
Day 36/135. Kendall Coyne Schofield is a speedy forward for the US Women’s National Hockey Team, who has broken barriers by playing with (and better than) the boys her whole life.
Laurie Hernandez - The Innocent
Day 22/135. Laurie Hernandez was the youngest member of the entire U.S. delegation to the 2016 Rio Olympics. That didn’t stop her from winning a gold and silver medal for her contributions to gymnastics legends, The Final Five.
Julie Ertz - The Innocent
Day 17/135. Winning makes Julie Ertz happy. As one of the most physically dominant soccer players in the world and center mid for the USWNT, Ertz controls the flow of the game, is great in the air, and sacrifices her body for the ball.
Paige Bueckers - The Innocent
Day 15/135. Paige Bueckers is the most highly anticipated players to enter the NCAA in years. Will she lead UConn back to dominance?