Martina Navratilova Quotes

There's nothing masculine about being competitive. There's nothing masculine about trying to be the best at everything you do, nor is there anything wrong with it. I don't know why a female athlete has to defend her femininity just because she chooses to play sports.

Often we women are risk averse. I needed the push. Now, more than ever, young women need more seasoned women to provide that encouragement, to take a risk, to go for it. Once a glass ceiling is broken, it stays broken.

There's such a stereotype about men and women. Obviously, people think men are faster and stronger and all these other things, and I don't want people to get sucked into that anymore. I want them to realize that the women are out here and doing just as awesome things. They can be just as great, too.

Whatever your fight, don't be ladylike.

Well Behaved Women Seldom Make History

I have a great deal of respect for any women that will enter the world of little boys of sports.

I've always been curious and taken many risks, but that is quite atypical for a woman. On the other hand, I think that's the only way to grow beyond yourself.

Despite the gender stereotypes in the '80s, my race-car-driving dad taught me that I could do whatever my brother could.

Against the men I have a point to prove. So I have more determination whereas, when I'm playing the women, we know each other's games so well. I need that extra boost just to prove to the men we can compete against them.

I've always been sensitive to the phrase 'like a girl,' especially when I was growing up and was told I couldn't play with the boys. It really resonated with me. I was so inspired by the first #LikeAGirl video, and I wanted to be a part of such a powerful message.

We gotta break these double-standards and get women to loosen up a bit. We gotta show them that we can do what we want to do how we want to do it. If someone doesn't like it, they can get to stepping.

The state of the world today demands that women become less modest and dream/plan/act/risk on a larger scale.

I hope that women know that they can and should try everything they're interested in - with the confidence that men have had.

I grew up with three younger brothers, so it was always 'compete against your brothers.' I've always had to stand up for myself. I love that. I love proving myself, that women can be just as good as men.

We're not women - we're playing football.

I'm not in any rat race. This allows me to take up roles that are traditionally considered risky for a heroine to essay.

If women dabble in rap but they're not rappers, to get from dabbling to doing it is really difficult, confidence-wise.

Growing up a lot of people said I played like a guy. They thought it was an insult, but I was like, 'That's fine, I don't care.'

Every day, women and girls are finding incredible confidence and taking risks. When they change one mind, pretty soon, they have changed one tradition. That changed tradition has changed a village. That one village has changed a country. That new reality means new opportunities for themselves and their daughters.

We were pushing the boundaries a bit of Saturday morning telly and trying new things.

Before the '80s, no girl would ask to click a photograph. That was modest and demure.

Nobody expects girls to do something smart or give one liners in a film.

Most girls are taught to avoid risk and failure. We're taught to smile pretty, play it safe, get all A's. Boys, on the other hand, are taught to play rough, swing high, crawl to the top of the monkey bars, and then just jump off headfirst.

We're told that to be successful girls, we have to be small and quiet. Yet to be successful humans, we have to become big and have a voice. There's an inherent contradiction.

I started racing BMX when I was five years old. I followed in my brother's footsteps, and I was a little tomboy. When I came into the sport, there wasn't many women. I raced with the boys; I looked up to the boys, and all my mentors were boys.