Ms. KILPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to state my strong support for the 12th
Annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day. I have long been an ardent supporter of
women athletes who use grace, strength, and discipline to break down barriers. Sports
instill confidence in girls
and women and equip them with important life skills such as teamwork, goal-setting, the
pursuit of excellence in performance, and other achievement-oriented behaviors.
National Girls and Women in Sports Day was established in 1987 in memory of the late Flo
Hyman, the Olympic volleyball champion who died suddenly in 1986.
Participants in this year's celebration include Tajama Abraham, Sacramento Monarchs
center; Lillian Greene-Chamberlain, PhD, national track and field champion; Nancy
Hogshead, three-time Olympic swimming gold medalist, Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, Olympic
track and field champion; Nadia Comaneci, Olympic gymnastics champion; Robin Campbell,
track and field Olympian; Dominique Dawes, Olympic gymnastic gold medalist; Camille
Duvall-Hero, world champion water-skier; Kelly Dyer, world-champion ice hockey player;
Wendy Hilliard, national rhythmic gymnastics champion; Rusty Kanokogi, highest ranking
woman in judo; Nikki McCray, 1996 Olympic gold medalist and member of the newly formed
WNBA Washington Mystics; Aimee Mullins, national track and field
champion; Donna Richardson, fitness star, national aerobic champion; Chanda Rubin, tennis
champion; Lyn St. James, champion auto racer.
At a luncheon today in the Senate Hart Building, Nadia Comaneci was given the Women's
Sports Foundation's 1998 Flo Hyman Award. Every year on National Girls and Women in Sports
Day, the award is given to women who exemplify the dignity, spirit, and commitment to
excellence of Ms.
Hyman, captain of the 1984 U.S. Olympic volleyball team.
Ms. Comaneci is the most celebrated gymnast in the history of the sport. She was the star
of the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, where she won three gold medals, two silver medals,
and a bronze, and became the first woman ever to score a perfect 10.
I congratulate Ms. Comaneci for her awe-inspiring achievements, and I applaud the Women's
Sports Foundation for its recognition of the importance of sports for women and girls.