Thousands of people in the community turned out despite the rain to celebrate Black history, culture, and freedom for Flint, Michigan’s 2021 Juneteenth event, which included a tribute to Flint’s native daughter, Claressa Shields. Shields, a boxing champion turned MMA fighter, made an appearance that... Read More
Top sports keynote speaker Sarah Thomas, a University of Mobile alumna, broke barriers to become the first female official in the National Football League. During her commencement speech to the UM Class of 2021, Thomas shared lessons learned along the way.Thomas received the Doctor of Humane Letters... Read More
Over the years, three-time gold medalist and 2016 Olympian, Ryan Murphy, has battled migraine headaches that worsen with stress, making training much more difficult than just having to compete against the best in the nation. These migraines have proven to be Murphy’s toughest opponent.To cope with h... Read More
It is not easy to be compared to a legend like Michael Phelps, but after winning a gold medal at London 2012 and five golds at the 2015 World Championships, Katie Ledecky was well her way to gaining the kind of acclaim reserved for the most decorated Olympian of all-time. After four golds at the Rio... Read More
Women have broken numerous barriers in all sports in 2020. In a major college football game, Sarah Fuller became the first woman to score. Becky Hammon made history by becoming the first female head coach in an NBA game. The WNBA and its players’ union signed a landmark eight-year collective agreeme... Read More
Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast of all-time, chose to participate in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics for reasons other than adding to her gold medal collection. In the aftermath of the sexual abuse scandal surrounding former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, Biles wishes to use her platf... Read More
After beginning his career in the shadow of swimming icons like Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, Nathan Adrian is Team USA’s veteran in the pool heading into the Tokyo Olympics. His rise to the top of the sport has not come without its share of challenges, however.Adrian revealed in 2019 that he had... Read More
Olympic swimmer Kathleen Baker became a Team USA mainstay with her improbable run in the 100-meter backstroke at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials. Paired against already-made stars like Missy Franklin and Natalie Coughlin, Baker was the one who stood out, finishing second in just 59.29 seconds.She would... Read More