Female athletes are finally starting to break into the sports that were considered male-only. The WNBA has been around for a while and there has been female boxing for sometime, too. However, you know it's really starting to be accepted by the general public when a film such as Million Dollar Baby can win the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actress. Many times a female athlete has found body-building as their favorite sport either through training or rehabilitation. How many times have we heard of the female athlete who injures a knee and turns to bodybuilding after being sidelined? Occasionally, there is the female bodybuilder that leaves for another sport. Deanna Panting was a promising bodybuilder in the 1980's. She now is on the Canadian bobsled team. Other female bodybuilders have turned to the pro-wrestling circuit. Christi Wolf became "Asya." While many don't consider pro-wrestling a "real" sport, it still requires being an athlete. Does anyone care to argue it with her? Women today are competing in almost every sport imaginable. They compete with just as much passion as the men do. Who can forget the image of Brandi Chastain pulling off her jersey and falling to her knees with her clenched fists raised in the air to celebrate their 1999 World Cup victory? The women are here and they're making a statement!   Photo of Stacy Dragila by Divulgação