CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — In honor of celebrating women's history month on March 24, we celebrate the 77th birthday ofKitty O'Neil, “the fastest woman in the world."
O'Neil was a legendary American stunt performer, born and raised in Corpus Christi.
In her early life, O'Neil contracted multiple diseases, leading to an intensive fever that left her deaf. She exposed herself to various communication methods that helped her adapt to different audiences.
O'Neil preferred to speak and lip-read and refused to let her deafness be a roadblock. She committed herself to becoming an athlete. She found a love for diving but unfortunately, she injured herself but still did not let that stop her.
O'Neil was an action lover she performed dangerous acts like falling from daunting heights and even jumping from helicopters. She experimented with high-speed sports like motorcycle racing and water skiing.
She made it on the big screen a stunt double for TV series like The Bionic Woman (1976), Wonder Woman (1977-1979), and The Blue Brothers (1980).
O'Neil is remembered for being crowned the fastest woman alive in 1976 after zooming across the Alvord Desert at 512.76 mph. She died in 2018 at age 72 from pneumonia.
She never gave up and is a prime example of what a strong woman is and will always be remembered for her ambition and dedication.
