Kitty O’Neil, the original ‘fastest woman alive’, was honored by Google Doodle on March 12, 2021, on what would have been her 84th birthday. O’Neil was a stuntwoman and racer who broke numerous speed records in the 1970s, including the land-speed record for women.
Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1946, O’Neil was deaf from the age of five months due to an illness. Despite this, she excelled in sports and became a champion diver and gymnast. She later moved to Hollywood to pursue a career in stunt work.
O’Neil’s first major stunt job was as Lynda Carter’s stunt double in the TV series “Wonder Woman.” She also worked on other popular TV shows and movies, including “The Bionic Woman,” “The Blues Brothers,” and “Smokey and the Bandit II.”
In addition to her work as a stuntwoman, O’Neil was also a racer. She began racing in the 1970s and quickly made a name for herself in the male-dominated sport. In 1976, she set the land-speed record for women at the Alvord Desert in Oregon, reaching a top speed of 512 miles per hour.
O’Neil also broke numerous other speed records during her career, including the water-speed record for women and the world record for the longest jump by a car (which she set while driving a rocket-powered vehicle).
Despite her many accomplishments, O’Neil faced discrimination and sexism throughout her career. She often had to fight for equal pay and opportunities, and was once told by a producer that she couldn’t perform a stunt because she was a woman.
O’Neil retired from stunt work and racing in the 1980s and went on to work as a motivational speaker and advocate for people with disabilities. She passed away in 2018 at the age of 72.
The Google Doodle honoring O’Neil features an illustration of her racing a rocket-powered car, with the Google logo in the background. The doodle was created by artist Lydia Nichols.
In honoring O’Neil, Google is helping to bring attention to a trailblazing woman who overcame numerous obstacles to achieve greatness in her field. O’Neil’s legacy serves as an inspiration to all those who face discrimination and adversity in their own lives.
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