Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-01-18
D|DR|KSON RESENTS
BEING HELD TO FEW
Ace of Olympic Team Would
Try CIean-up-kdmits She
Isn't Pretty.
BY BILL PARKER,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

n ALIAS, Tex, January IS
| Two Summers ago Dallas
~ played host to the women's
national track and field
championships.
There was not a single woman
athlete in the city or State con-
sidered capable Of giving the Ma
tons stars any sort of champion
ship competition in any event.
So Mildred Babe Didrikson,
clerk in an insurance company
Office, took the afternoon off,
marched out to the meet, and be-
fore the sun had set established
two national records-in the jave-
lin and base ball throWs-and fin
lshed a close second in the broad
Jump.
Today this same Babe Didrikson is to
the American women's Olympic track
and field team what Helene Madison is
to the swimming squad. She holds eight
southern and three national Amateur
T1C4l4CGAC SLllOll IeCOIuS.
She quarrels over the fact that she's
only allowed to compete in three events
in each national meet. Given her own
way she'd run right down the list, from
sprintS to weights, and probably win a
majority of them.
1P to that afternoon when Babe dis
- covered she was a track star, the
athletic endeaVorS of this slim, 49,
year -old girl has been confined merely to
basket ball, boxing, bowling, foot ball,
golf, tennis, base ball, gymnastics, rifle
craftsmanship, cycling, speed skating,
hand ball, life-saving tests and squash.
She is an all-America basket ball for
ward and once held her own in an ex-
hibition boxing match with Babe"
Strtbllng, lightweight brother of the
heavyweight. She likes to fight. Her
pointed. She has a few close girl
friends and isn't much interested in
boys.
A short time ago the A. A. U. decided
against nicknames for girl athletes. So
she sent the authorities a birth certifi-
cate to prove she had been christened
Babe" She never went to college, but
one big university offered her q four
year scholarship If she'd matriculate
there in time to represent the school
in the Olympics.
my favorite sport? Say, I'm sorry
W but don't have one," she said.
The best way to take athletics
is to like them ALL
My favorite hobby? There is no
such thing. Athletics are all I care for.
sleep them, eat them, talk them, and
try my level best to do them as they
should be done. You've got TO feel
that way"
She doesn't think athletics are tniuri-
Gus for girls and believes injuries result
from OVERRIDING. Her biggest thrill was
the last-second goal that gave her
Dallas team the 1881 National A. A u.
girls basket ball championship, after
four years of trying She likes to win
because her parents like her to-
There's nothing in Babes physique
to indicate her tremendous ability and
vitality. She's medium tall, not an
ounce overweight, and the sun keeps
her bronzed the year around. Her
blond hair is cut short and slicked
back. She moves with effortless grace.
throws base ball with the easy motion
of a big league pitcher and plays bas-
ket ball better than many boy who
has won college letter.
Probably the strangest thing about
her is that she has always wanted to
be a sports writer.
you guys have it easy" she says.
She once had doll, but never played
with it. She likes to eat-anything,
even spinach. She hit a golf ball 200
yards with putter under the mis-
guided impression she was swinging g.
No iron.
But she's all feminine, just the same
L know I'm not pretty" she says,
but do try to be graceful"