They laughed at me.

They said i was wimpy and weak

They said Heartbreak would break me like a twig.

They said “No woman had tried this before, no woman could pull this off.”

They said the race was too l  o  n  g, my body was too small, and the hills were too big,

But mile,

                                                After mile,

                                                                                                     After mile,

I prove them wrong.

I am not some frilly, feeble little girl.

I wear lipstick and gold hoops, it is true, but

I am an Athlete, a Runner, a Lioness.

 I am Woman, hear Me

ROAR!

My thinking rolled on: The reason there are no intercollegiate sports for women at big universities, no scholarships, prize money, or any races longer than 800 meters is because women don’t have the opportunities to prove they want those things. If they could just take part, they’d feel the power and accomplishment and the situation would change. After what happened today, I felt responsible to create those opportunities. I felt elated, like I’d made a great discovery. In fact, I had.

-Kathryn Switzer