Rusty Kanokogi’s New Competition
In August 2008, I wrote a couple of posts here that included the name Rusty Kanokogi, a member of the International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame of the Women’s Sports Foundation.
The year before that, I had interviewed Rusty for an article I wrote to mark the 35th anniversary of Title IX mandating equality in educational activities and opening the door for girls and young women to receive equal funding for sports activities.
Rusty is a coach who demonstrates how sports can transform a life and the power of commitment to equality on the playing field—er judo mat.
“Fighter for her Sport Has Own Battle,” read the headline in the Sports section of The New York Times on Tuesday, February 17, 2009. Rusty, Joshua Robinson reported, has kidney failure and multiple myeloma, a rare cancer of the blood.
“I’ll always fight for what I think is fair,” Rusty is quoted by Robinson.
The article takes an in-depth look at Rusty’s life fighting for fairness in judo. It’s a good story. One I hope has a happy ending for Rusty. She deserves it. She’s a great leader and role model.