SuperWomen author and photographer, Jodi Buren recounts her experience of creating this book of inspiration.
By Jodi Buren in 2004
Being a female magazine photographer in New York City, I was often assigned women oriented stories; the woman CEO, the working mother, women authors and artists, rock stars and teachers, stories on childbirth, aging women in nursing homes and women athletes. In 1990, I found myself on assignment for
Sports Illustrated working on a story about Donna Lopiano, the women's athletic director at the University of Texas in Austin. While there, I was amazed by the athletes that I met — tennis players, runners, volleyball players — all playing their sport with passion and joy. I photographed a Lady Longhorns basketball game. The stadium was packed, the fans went wild. Former governor of Texas, Ann Richards and former U.S. Congresswoman, Barbara Jordan were there rooting the team on. I was inspired by these young athletes, by their strength, their energy and their sheer love of the game.
I went on to do another story for SI on female jockeys Julie Krone and Donna Barton. Again, I found myself fascinated with these women athletes who were competing with men, who were some of the best in their sport, and who had such confidence, determination and spirit. Each time I met female athletes, I saw a common thread of vitality and passion for their sport and in their outlook on life. I was hooked.
Donna Lopiano went on to become the executive director of the Women's Sports Foundation, and I found myself volunteering to photograph athletes and events for the Foundation. Each year, the Foundation hosts an Annual Salute to Women in Sports in New York City, where they celebrate the great achievements by women in sport. Dozens of athletes are honored. It was while seeing these extraordinary women parade across the stage that I knew that I wanted to capture what I had seen on film. I wanted to meet these women, photograph them, talk to them and learn how sport had affected their lives.
I called Donna to discuss my idea of doing a book. She was immediately supportive. She embraced the concept wholeheartedly and offered me the cooperation of the Women's Sports Foundation. She saw the project's potential and put the ball into play. I can't begin to thank her enough. A call was made to Chris Evert, whom I subsequently photographed. She was wonderful. Her stature and involvement in the book early on helped lend credibility to the project. And thus began the process of creating SuperWomen. From that point, I went on to photograph and interview another eight or nine athletes. That was 10 years ago.
Serious family issues caused me to put the project aside. Again, Donna was gracious and supportive of my situation. Over the years, I ached to restart the project. As 2002 was nearing an end, the 30th anniversary of the Women's Sports Foundation was coming up, along with the 2004 Olympic Games. With gentle prodding and support, Donna encouraged me to restart the project. I began photographing again. My husband designed a prototype book layout, and Donna starting showing it to agents, supporters and sponsors. Donna introduced me to Coleen O'Shea, a literary agent, and after many rejections, we got the call that Bulfinch Press wanted to publish the book — within the year! One of the most exciting, frenzied, scariest, challenging years of my life was about to begin.
And what a year it was. One of my early shoots was with wakeboarder Dallas Friday. With awe and admiration, I watched her fly through the air on her wakeboard as we roared around a lake in her motorboat. I spent the afternoon in her kitchen talking about air awareness and positive thinking. When I contacted curler Patti Lank, she leapt at the opportunity to participate in the project. She flew to my home as part of a New York family vacation for her kids. I photographed her in my studio barn, as my husband watched her kids and made dinner for us all. We sat at my kitchen counter talking late into the night about life, motherhood and sport.
In California, Lisa Fernandez told me a story that still gives me goose bumps. She related how at the age of 12, she was told her arms were too short and she would never be successful at softball. Over her tears, her mother asked her if she was just going to accept that. She went on to become one of the greatest softball pitchers of all time. Famed auto racer Janet Guthrie invited my assistant and me to stay at her home in Aspen. I sat in her living room mesmerized by her stories of being a female racecar driver in the '60s and '70s. After a home-cooked dinner at Ann Bancroft's home, I sat riveted until late into the night hearing about her expeditions across the Antarctic. She also shares her trekking tales with school children across the country through daily Internet diaries during her journeys.
I lived the gamut of experiences this past year. We were treated like royalty by the athletes, given carte blanche at the U.S. Olympic Training Centers, but also stayed in cheap motels and ate way too much fast food. We lost the air conditioning in our car while driving 1,000 miles through the worst heat wave of the summer to land in a corporate park shooting WNBA basketball player Tamika Catchings, who turned out to be one of the nicest women I've ever met, and well worth the brutal drive. In New Jersey, we met amateur golfer Michelle Wie, a happy pleasant typical 13-year-old who can hit a golf ball more than 300 yards. Cameron Myler, who retired from luge over 10 years ago and is now a successful attorney, jumped right into her Olympic uniform and still looked awesome. She brings the same determination and skill to her profession that she did to her sport. Aimee Mullins spoke of how the doctor who delivered her told her parents that she would be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. She runs faster than most women on earth. Robin Benincasa lives and breathes the benefits of cooperation. When she is not adventure racing, she gives back to the world by using her teamwork skills in her job as a firefighter and an EMT.
Tanya Streeter submerged herself in mucky river water to get the shot I envisioned. High jumper Erin Aldrich and long jumper Shakema Walker jumped over and over and over again until we got the shot just right. Megastar Annika Sorenstam was gracious, down to earth and loved the idea of creating a photograph that would give the illusion that she walked on water. (It wasn't easy.) Olympic fencer Sharon Monplaisir gave us fencing lessons after the shoot. I went rock climbing in Kentucky after spending the day with climber Tori Allen. I sat in a bobsled, looked down the barrel of a rifle, tried throwing a javelin and got an awesome table tennis lesson. I loved every minute of it!
I spent magical hours photographing and interviewing 100 athletes from 100 different sports. With startling candor and honesty, they talked about their innermost fears, secret dreams and desires. They shared the stories that told of the personal experiences that led them to where they are today. Each story, each shoot was a gift I will always cherish.
It has been an incredible journey.