Google Doodle honors Kitty O'Neil, the original 'fastest woman alive'

If you’re familiar with Jessi Combs’ life, then you’re likely familiar with the term “the fastest woman alive,” as Combs posthumously earned the female land-speed record after a tragic accident in the Oregon desert in 2019. However, before Combs’ massive speed runs, Kitty O’Neil was setting records in the 1970s and was even outrunning the men of her time. Today, Google honored O’Neil with a Doodle, so it’s time for a short history lesson on the original “fastest woman alive.”

O’Neil was born in Texas in the mid-1940s, and though she fought multiple childhood diseases, which caused her to lose hearing, she became a competitive diver as a teenager. She had great success, but a training accident during prep for the 1964 Olympics led to a broken wrist and spinal meningitis, which could have taken her ability to walk.

She went on to swimming events but eventually lost her spark for water sports and moved on to faster activities like water skiing and skydiving. Amazingly, she faced another medical setback in her late 30s when she underwent cancer treatment.