TrackGirlz Teams with Oiselle on Masterclass Featuring the Legendary Tigerbelles

May 1, 2021

TrailblazHER virtually honors track and field trailblazers

Frisco, TX – May 1, 2021 – TrackGirlz and Oiselle have partnered on the TrailblazHer Masterclass to honor female athletes who paved the way for future generations. This event will feature four members from the Tennessee State University women’s track team during the 1960s, known as the Tigerbelles, who helped shape the legacy of women’s sports while overcoming racism and sexism.

Led by renowned coach Ed Temple, the TSU Tigerbelles dominated women’s track and field nearly 20 years before Title IX was enacted. Their program helped advance both women’s running and civil rights, and went on to break the color barriers of the Olympics during the Jim Crow era. More than 40 athletes from the program went to the Olympics where they captured 13 gold medals, more than 30 national titles, and 23 Olympic medals.

Tigerbelle special guests include:

• Wyomia Tyus, 3x Olympic Gold Medalist
• Edith McGuire, Olympic Gold Medalist
• Lucinda Williams, Olympic Gold Medalist
• Martha Watson, 4x Olympian
• Chandra Cheeseborough-Guice, Olympic Gold Medalist & TSU Director of Track and Field

“It’s truly a story of sisterhood, empowerment, and track and field,” says Jennifer Forrester, TrackGirlz Co-Director. “Attendees will be able to receive a first-hand account of their groundbreaking experience as part of the legendary TSU Tigerbelles, their journeys to the Olympics during a time when all odds were against them, and learn of their sisterhood and impact that has lasted through the years.” Middle and High School attendees will each receive hard copies of the autobiography,Tigerbelle, written by Wyomia Tyus,

“Our goal is to amplify the Tigerbelle story by providing a multigenerational learning environment to educate girls about their impact on the present generation of women in sport,”  says Mechelle Freeman, TrackGirlz Founder & Co-Director. “Our goal is to ensure we use sisterhood, empowerment, and track and field as a gateway for girls to discover, embrace, and develop their authenticity. We focus on removing barriers, and equip girls with the methods and tools to allow them to be successful in track and field and life.”

Oiselle the event’s title sponsor, will donate a sports bra to all middle and high school girls attending the event. Established in 2017,  Oiselle’s Bras for Girls’ program helps girls stay active and see physical activity as a lifelong pursuit.

“Our goal is to think global but act local,” said Dr. Sarah Lesko, Oiselle’s Corporate Development Lead. “In just four short years, Bras for Girls has educated thousands of young women on body image while simultaneously providing them with a high quality sports bra to comfortably participate in sports. We are thrilled to further expand our outreach in 2021.”

The event will be hosted via zoom on Sunday, May 23, 2021 at 1pm CST. Middle and High School girls will be able to attend at no cost. Tickets are $25 for adults. Registration and more information on TrackGirlz programs are available on the TrackGirlz Website.

To register for the May Virtual TrailBlazHER MasterClass, click here.

For more information on TRACKGIRLZ, click here.

For more information on Oiselle, click here.

ABOUT TRACKGIRLZ:

Led by Olympic Sprinter, Mechelle Lewis Freeman and Wellness Coach, Jennifer Forrester, TrackGirlz is a 501c3 nonprofit organization with a mission to provide girls access to mentorship, education, and sport through track and field. Our programs and events provide direct interaction with track and field world-class female role models, including Olympians and elite coaches, using a sport proven to have health, educational, and social benefits for girls. Our programs include, Performance Grants to provide financial and training resources to support participation in track and field and higher education at the grassroots, collegiate, and post collegiate levels, and our Empowerment Workshopz & Camps using a track and field inspired character development curriculum and speed and conditioning program designed by Mechelle and Jennifer. Follow @trackgirlz on Facebook and Instagram.

ABOUT OISELLE:

Oiselleis a women’s athletic apparel company that balances community and design. Following its first quest to create non-poofy shorts in 2007, the company has grown steadily as an independent brand that now designs and distributes a full range of competition and lifestyle apparel, online and at its University Village flagship store in Seattle. The company sponsors world-class athletes, has a virtual and IRL community for women athletes called the Volée, and gives back to communities in need through its Bras for Girls sports bra donation program. Oiselle is headquartered in Magnuson Park, Seattle, Washington. Follow Oiselle on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.