Jumping Fences and Gender Barriers: Women Athletes Celebrate 51st Anniversary of Title IX
Title IX Celebration Gathers Women Athletes of All Ages at Santa Barbara County Courthouse
Jane Frederick, a two-time track and field Olympian, honed her talent for jumping fences while studying at the University of Colorado. She shared her story alongside five other women athletes at the Santa Barbara Courthouse on Friday to mark the 51st anniversary of Title IX, the civil rights law that promotes gender equality in school sports and educational programs.
Before becoming a coach at UC Santa Barbara, Frederick — a repeat national champion who set the first official world record in the women’s heptathlon — jumped fences and gender barriers to practice late at night after being denied access to university facilities. In her blue Olympic legacy jacket, she repeated what Colorado’s male track coach told her: “Get off, no girls.”
Despite facing discrimination, Frederick’s “unique ambition of the sportswoman” led to the establishment of Colorado’s first women’s varsity track and field program.
