Wonder Woman of the Week: Hilary Knight

This week’s spotlight mirrors women like Abby Wambach and Billie Jean King who fought for women’s pay disparities in their sports. But while Wambach and King fought- and continue to fight- for equal pay in soccer and tennis, this woman fights for equal pay in hockey. Not only is she a two-time Olympic silver medalist, an accomplished college and professional athlete, and IIHF World Champion, she is also an incredible role model for young girls who struggle with identity and body image. The Wonder Woman of the Week is Hilary Knight.

Growing up in New Hampshire, Hilary Knight believed being muscular meant she couldn’t be a girl- that strength was not feminine. Knight broke her own gender stereotype when she set the goal of competing in the Winter Olympics. Knight had to gain fifteen pounds and shattered the body image that muscular isn’t feminine. Apart from being part of a women’s hockey team which won a silver medal at the games, (which I will get to later on), Hilary Knight achieved a different goal- proving that women of any shape or frame can be both feminine and strong. [1]

Hilary Knight made her Olympic debut at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, but the tournament wasn’t her first international game. Knight began representing the United States at the age of 17 in 2007. In 2009, Knight led the United States victory with seven goals in five games making her one of the top three female hockey players in the United States after only two years. [2]

After earning a silver medal beside fellow American women at the Vancouver Olympics, Hilary Knight returned to the United States to finish school at the University of Wisconsin. In the 2010-2011 school year, Knight led the NCAA with 47 season goals and helped her university make it to the national finals. After graduating from Wisconsin, Knight was enlisted to the Canadian Women’s Hockey League and became the first American-born woman to be named the CWHL Most Valuable Player Award. [3]

Hilary Knight moved from the Canadian side of the border to the American when in 2016 the National Women’s Hockey League became the first hockey league in the world to pay women to play hockey. Knight signed up with the Boston Pride and led them to win the inaugural Isobel Cup. Knight capitalized on that success with fellow hockey players to campaign for increased wages for professional female hockey players who currently face a $25,000 per year pay cap. [4]

Growing up in New Hampshire, a young girl thought she had to choose between being strong and being a girl- she chose both. Hilary Knight went on to not only shatter stereotypes about femininity, she also went on to shatter athletic records. While scoring record-setting goals in the ice, Knight also sets her sight on achieving the goal of livable wages for professional female hockey players outside the arena. Knight is an incredible role model for young girls who struggle with the same body image issues Knight faced as a child. She decided what femininity meant for herself and acknowledged that a woman can be strong, fight for equal pay, and still maintain her femininity.

Ain, Monty. “Hilary Knight gets puck naked.” 26 June 2014. ESPNW. Accessed 18 May 2016. http://espn.go.com/espnw/news-commentary/article/11158589/us-women-national-hockey-team-forward-hilary-knight-gets-naked-espn-magazine-body-issue

“Hilary Knight.” 2010. NBCOlympics.com. Accessed 18 May 2016. http://origin.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=2410/bio/index.html

“Hilary Knight.” 2016. USA Hockey. Accessed 18 May 2016. http://olympics.usahockey.com/page/show/1086007-hilary-knight

Forrester, Nick. “Hilary Knight loving life as an NWHL star.” 16 March 2016. Sports Illustrated. Accessed 18 May 2016. http://www.si.com/nhl/2016/03/14/hilary-knight-boston-pride-nwhl-dream-job