As a fervent democrat, I find that sometimes I don’t have patience for republicans. But there is one exception I’d like to make, and she is truly one of a kind.
Republican Sarah Palin, a possible running mate for Presidential candidate John McCain, is the first female governor of Alaska.
Here’s the catcher: she credits her success to the Title IX federal law, which guarantees women equal opportunities in education, including school sports, with helping her get where she is.
Sarah told Alaska Business Monthly,
“I had a great upbringing under Title IX. I can’t imagine where I’d be without the opportunities provided to me in sports. Sports taught me that gender isn’t an issue; in fact, when people talk about me being the first female governor, I’m a little absent from that discussion, because I’ve never thought of gender as an issue. In sports, you learn self-discipline, healthy competition, to be gracious in victory and defeat, and the importance of being part of a team and understanding what part you play on that team. You all work together to reach a goal, and I think all of those factors come into play in my role as governor.”
Since she was sworn into office as Governor, she has helped Alaska invest $5 billion in state savings, overhaul education funding, and implement the Senior Benefits Program that provides support for low-income older Alaskans.
She created Alaska’s Petroleum Systems Integrity Office to provide oversight and maintenance of oil and gas equipment, facilities and infrastructure, and the Climate Change Subcabinet to prepare a climate change strategy for Alaska.
Sarah Heath Palin arrived in Alaska with her family in 1964, when her parents came to teach school in Skagway. She received a bachelor of science degree in communications-journalism from the University of Idaho in 1987. Palin, who graduated from Wasilla High School in 1982, has lived in Skagway, Eagle River and Wasilla.
She is married to Todd Palin, who is a lifelong Alaskan, a production operator on the North Slope and a four-time champion of the Iron Dog, the world’s longest snowmachine race.
Seems like the values of sports are important in her family. This is yet another attribute to the success that sports creates in women. I can only hope that her inspiration continues to filter to those of our future.
...Because I Played Sports 