NEW YORK CITY – Head UCF women’s soccer coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak, UCF Hall of Famer Michelle Akers, and the 1999 Women’s World Cup winning U.S. Women’s National Team will receive the Women’s Sports Foundation’s 2024 Wilma Rudolph Courage Award next month.
The 99ers will officially receive the distinguished award at the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Annual Salute to Women in Sports on Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.
Twenty-five years ago, the 1999 U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team’s victory over China in the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup final inspired millions around the world and changed the trajectory of women’s sports forever. The team’s success was the catalyst for the establishment of the first women’s professional soccer league. And their advocacy off the field was just as remarkable, resulting in crucial gains in the fight for equal pay and collective bargaining—setting the example for future leagues to follow. The bravery of The 99ers has transcended the sport of soccer and inspired generations of girls and women in all sports.
The Wilma Rudolph Courage Award is presented at WSF’s Annual Salute to Women in Sports to a female athlete (or team) who exhibits extraordinary courage in her athletic performance, demonstrates the ability to overcome adversity, makes significant contributions to sports and serves as an inspiration and role model to those who face challenges, overcomes them and strives for success at all levels. This award was first given in 1996 to Jackie Joyner-Kersee.
WSF’s Annual Salute to Women in Sports will be the culmination of a year-long celebration of the organization’s 50th anniversary. It honors sports leaders and superstar athletes — from legendary icons to next-gen trailblazers — who are propelling the movement for gender equity in sports. And will spotlight pivotal moments within the women’s sports ecosystem that have driven WSF’s mission forward for five decades and counting.
Both Roberts Sahaydak and Akers won Olympic gold in 1996 and the World Cup in 1999 with the USWNT. Roberts Sahaydak and a number of her 99ers teammates are scheduled to be in New York City to receive the award on Oct. 16. This past July marked the 25-year anniversary of the 1999 World Cup.
To learn more about WSF’s Annual Salute to Women in Sports, visit WomensSportsFoundation.org.