As a former Olympian, medalist, World Cup athlete, and a member of the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame, it is hard to imagine my life without sports. However, if not for our own late Sen. Ted Stevens, sports might be a different game than they are today.
In 1972, Sen. Stevens was instrumental in passing Title IX; this important piece of legislation insured that females across the country would have the same opportunities in sports as males. Before this legislation, females participated in cheerleading and square dancing. Now we are Olympians, record holders, and collegiate champions. We now know that playing sports makes women healthier. They are less likely to smoke, drink, and use drugs. We are role models for young aspiring athletes.
It is hard for me to imagine life without sports and everything that athletics afforded me, to be given the chance to emerge a champion, a hero, the face on a Wheaties box. For what now feels like an entitlement and a no-brainer, females at one time had to fight for the chance to simply play sports.
Stevens' work didn't end with Title IX. In 1978, he wrote and sponsored the most important piece of legislation in the history of the U.S. Olympic movement, the Amateur Sports Act, which was later named after him. The U.S. Olympic Committee was reorganized under the act, giving structure to the national governing bodies and a clear path with due process for athletes pursuing their Olympic dreams.
When snowboarding was announced as an Olympic sport for the 1998 Games, we were fortunate to have the Amateur Sports Act. With two governing bodies fighting for the right to represent snowboarding at the Games, the athletes had no clear way for qualifying. Because of the Amateur Sports Act, every athlete had the chance to qualify, regardless of his or her affiliation. This was exactly what Stevens championed -- the rights and opportunities of the athletes.
These two historic pieces of legislation won Stevens the Gold Olympic Order, an award given by the International Olympic Committee. Stevens is the only member of Congress to ever receive this honor.
Alaska, this is a big deal. Not just for the Alaska female athletes and Olympians, but for every single athlete in our country. As a member of the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame, I strongly believe it is time to induct Stevens into the hall of fame for his lifelong advocacy for health and equality in sports. We have to.
The public voting for the nominations into the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame is open. We have proven that we are good at "writing in" names, so I urge you to write in Stevens' name on the list of nominees. Voting deadline is midnight Nov. 30.
Rosey Fletcher is a lifelong Alaskan, Olympic bronze medalist in snowboarding and three-time Olympian. She was elected to the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
By ROSEY FLETCHER