Looking for inspiration for your next sporting event? There are plenty of great female athletes to watch in 2016. There are many options for you to choose from, whether your interest is in running marathons, the Olympics or competing in a team. These are four inspiring women athletes to look at if you want to see more stories about women's achievements.
Serena Williams transcends gender
Serena Williams is the greatest female tennis player of all time. She's also one the most well-rounded athletes in any sports. She is feminine in all the right places, but also strong and powerful. We can't ignore her. But how did she achieve her status?
Williams's success transcended the sport she played and helped women achieve their greatest potential. Williams broke down barriers and overcame prejudice to inspire a new generation. Her husband even wore a T-shirt with an image of her and the message that women's equality matters.
Natasha Hastings is one of the fastest women in the world
Natasha Hastings is the Olympic sprint champ and both are American. She was just about to marry and wanted to take a break from track and field in order to have a family. Unexpected circumstances altered her plans. Despite her life being turned upside down, she managed to keep her family in mind and compete in her last Olympics.
Natasha Hastings has been a two time Olympic gold medalist. She majored at the University of South Carolina in Exercise Science. She won both the indoor and outdoor 400-meter NCAA Championships.
Jessica Ennis Hill is one of Britain's best overall athletes
Jessica Ennis Hill (the world and Olympic champions in the Heptathlon) is Britain's most decorated heptathlete. The 28-year-old is from Sheffield and is the eldest child of Vinnie and Alison. Carmel, her younger sister, is also her. At a young time, she was expected to become an athlete star. She was then spotted by Olympic coaches.
Jessica Ennis Hill attended Highfield High Schools and Dore High Schools. She later studied psychology at Sheffield University. She was almost paralysed by anxiety before competitions. Despite this, her degree was completed and she became one the most successful modern athletes in Britain. She trained for the 2012 Olympics over 10,000 hours. To reach the top, she would do plyometric drills at a Sheffield park and go through endurance and weight training sessions. After a year of preparations, she won the final event at the heptathlon.
Simone Biles is the only female athlete to achieve such a feat
Simone Biles, who began gymnastics at an early age, has proven her promise since. She didn't want to win an Olympic medal, but she did dream of a college scholarship. Her determination and hard work paid off and by the time she was 14, she had qualified for the elite level of the sport four times. Today, she has become the only female athlete to win three world all-around titles in one year.
Although she was a star pupil at Bannon's Gymnastix as a child, Biles was diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder at a very young age. Her mother, Nellie Biles, was an advocate for her daughter, as she taught her how to focus and set goals.