Inspired by Sally Ride
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2 min readSally Ride, the first American woman in space – and also the youngest American in space – inspired generations of women.
When Sally Ride died in 2012, one of the first things I saw when I logged on to Facebook after work was a post from a friend, commenting on the obituary I had just posted minutes before: "Ride Sally, Ride! What a great inspiration. Rest in peace!"
My friend is one of many who publicly mourned a personal hero upon hearing of her death. Sally Ride, the first American woman in space – and also the youngest American in space – inspired generations of women who were blown away by the pleasant-seeming, normal-looking, and completely brilliant and driven young woman who burst onto the national radar in 1983. She broke one of the toughest glass ceilings there was – and American loved her for it. Especially American women.
In the hours after Ride's death, we read of Katie Couric's respect for her, via Twitter: "Sally Ride is truly one of my heroes and has inspired so many women. Very sad day, please let us continue to share her story." Twitter also showed us that she inspired Sarah Palin: "Sally Ride was an inspirational trailblazer for American women. We're all grateful for her example. She will be greatly missed." We read moving blog posts and tweets from celebrities and regular folks who agree that Sally Ride challenged them to reach for the stars.
In Ride's Guest Book, too, we saw condolences and messages of admiration from those who looked up to her:
One of the most common threads of these tributes was that even people who were never destined for the sciences – or space – have looked to Sally Ride as an inspiration. We can honor her memory, today and always, by reaching for the stars – no matter what it is we do.
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