Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Louis Tewanima, first Native American (Hopi) to win an Olympic medal

Louis Tewanima, born in 1888 in what is now Arizona, participated in two Olympic games and won the silver medal in the 10,000 meter run at the 1912 Olympic Games in Sweden.  He became the first Native American (Hopi) to win an Olympic medal and set a US record which stood until 1964, when another Native American, Billy Mills (Lakota Sioux) broke it.

Tewanima had previously represented the US at the 1908 Olympic games in London where he placed ninth in the marathon.  After the 1912 Olympics he returned to his reservation and spent the rest of his life herding sheep and raising crops.

In 1906, Tewanima was kidnapped by the US Government and sent to Fort Wingate in New Mexico, and then to Carlisle Indian School in 1907 where he met Jim Thorpe.

He passed away in Second Mesa, Arizona in January 1959.

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: Pablo Morales, Olympic gold medalist

Pablo Morales, born December 5, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois to Cuban immigrants, won gold medals in swimming at the 1984 and 1992 Olympics.  He also set world records in the 100 m butterfly in 1984 and 1986.

At the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Morales won a gold for the 4x100 m relay and two silver medals for the butterfly, setting the world record. Unfortunately, he did not qualify for the 1988 Olympics, and retired from the sport. 

He returned to swimming and qualified for the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, where he won the gold in the 100 m butterfly.

Celebrating Pride Month: Laurel Hubbard, first openly transgender Olympic athlete

Laurel Hubbard, born February 9, 1978 in Auckland, New Zealand, became the first openly transgender athlete selected to compete the Olympic Games. 

Prior to her transition, Laurel set junior records in weightlifting in 1998, but stated she had ceased lifting in 2001 saying it became to much to bear, trying to fit into a world that wasn't set up for transgendered people.

She transitioned to female in 2012 and in 2017 competed in international weightlifting for the first time at the Australian International & Australian Open, winning the gold medal in the heaviest +90 kg category.  She was the first trans woman to win an international weightlifting title for New Zealand.

In 2019, she won two gold medals at the Pacific Games in Samoa.  In 2020, she won the gold medal in the women's +87 kg even at the Roma 2020 World Cup.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) set the requirements for transgender weightlifters to compete at the Olympics.  On June 21, 2021, the New Zealand Olympic Committee determined Hubbard met all the requirements and selected her to be the first open transgender athlete to compete in the 2020 Olympic Games, set for Tokyo in 2021.  

Unfortunately, she was also the oldest weightlifter at 43, to compete at the Olympics and she placed last in her group.