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“A powerful testament to how far women’s sports has come.”
— Muffy Davis, 7-time Paralympic Medalist

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The Girls Who Beat the Odds

Stories of Women Who Changed the Course of Sports History

Major General Mari K. Eder, Retired U.S. Army & USA Today Bestselling Author

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Cover of The Girls Who Beat the Odds by Major General Mari K. Eder

The untold and unheralded stories of women in sports history, forgotten no longer.

From the 1900s to the modern era, The Girls Who Beat the Odds honors the American athletes who built the game, brought the pain, stayed the course, and gave it their all. It’s a showcase of just how far women’s sports has come in the past hundred years—while honoring those who had the courage and fortitude to come first.

Major General Mari K. Eder, U.S. Army (Retired)

Mari K. Eder
Retired U.S. Army Major General · USA Today Bestselling Author

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Praise

for The Girls Who Beat the Odds

Library Journal calls The Girls Who Beat the Odds "an essential catch-up for sports fans on these overlooked athletes and an engaging look at leadership, ingenuity, and grit for non-sports fans."
Muffy Davis, seven-time Paralympic medalist, calls The Girls Who Beat the Odds "a celebration and a call to action to ensure the future of sport is equitable, accessible, and bold enough to include us all."
Colonel (Retired) Edna W. Cummings, author of A Soldier's Life, praises Mari K. Eder as "a brilliant storyteller who underscores the talent and courage of women athletes who prevailed over opponents while battling sexism and racism."
Christine Dorfler, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for the NFL, calls The Girls Who Beat the Odds "a fitting tribute to the women who pushed boundaries and expanded opportunity for those who followed."

More from Major General Mari K. Eder

Cover of The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line by Major General Mari K. Eder

The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line

The women who flew, fought, broke codes, and changed the course of World War II.

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Cover of The Girls Who Fought Crime by Major General Mari K. Eder

The Girls Who Fought Crime

The country’s first female investigators—armed with corsets, courage, and jiu jitsu.

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