Kitty O’Neil was a trailblazer in the world of motorsports and stunt work, earning the title of the ‘fastest woman alive’ in the 1970s. On March 3, 2021, Google honored her legacy with a Doodle on their homepage, introducing her story to a new generation.
Born in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1946, O’Neil was deaf from a young age due to a case of measles. However, this did not stop her from pursuing her dreams. She became an accomplished diver and gymnast in her youth, and eventually moved to Hollywood to pursue a career in stunt work.
O’Neil quickly made a name for herself as a fearless and skilled stuntwoman, performing dangerous stunts in movies and TV shows such as “The Bionic Woman” and “Wonder Woman”. She also became involved in motorsports, setting multiple land speed records and becoming the first woman to drive a rocket-powered vehicle.
In 1976, O’Neil set her most impressive record yet. She drove a hydrogen peroxide-powered rocket car called the “SMI Motivator” to a top speed of 512 miles per hour, making her the fastest woman in the world at the time. This record still stands as the fastest land speed ever achieved by a woman.
O’Neil’s achievements were all the more impressive given the challenges she faced as a deaf person in a hearing-dominated industry. She relied on visual cues and vibrations to communicate with her team during stunts and races, and often had to rely on her own instincts and intuition to make split-second decisions.
Despite her incredible accomplishments, O’Neil remained humble and focused on her work. She retired from stunt work in the 1980s and became an advocate for people with disabilities, using her platform to raise awareness and inspire others.
Kitty O’Neil passed away in 2018 at the age of 72, but her legacy lives on as a pioneer for women in motorsports and a symbol of perseverance and determination. The Google Doodle honoring her serves as a reminder of her incredible achievements and the impact she made on the world.
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