Dot Richardson

Richardson, known as "Dr. Dot," experiencd a defining moment as youth when, in 1968, she watched Olympic highlights on television. That night, she dreamed of standing on the podium, cloaked in Olympic gold. Twenty-eight years later, that dream came true.

Despite her talent, opportunities were limited. Richardson was born in the 1960s, a decade before Title IX opened the pathways for women in sports. The best she could do was be a bat girl for her brothers' baseball team, which at least allowed her the opportunity to practice with the team. At 10, Richardson mesmerized a baseball coach with her throwing arm and was offered a chance to pitch, as long as she cut her hair and answered to "Bob."

"As quickly as I had gotten excited, I became crushed," Richardson recalled in her memoir. "I wanted to play, but I didn't want to pretend to be a boy.… I told him, 'Thanks but no thanks. If I have to hide who I am, I don't feel it's right.'"

Luckily that afternoon, the coach of a local women's fast-pitch team saw Richardson and offered the gangly 10-year-old a chance to join her team.