Kitty O’Neil: Google doodle celebrates the spirit of the World-Fastest Women on her 77th birth anniversary

Google Doodle Today 2023: Kitty O’Neil, a famous American stuntwoman who was deaf from a young age, is hailed by Alphabet-owned tech major Google on her 77th birthday anniversary by a doodle. The doodle has been created by Washington DC-based deaf guest artist Meeya Tjiang and celebrates the achievement of the woman who was once crowned the “fastest woman in the world.” 

Who was Kitty O’Neil?

Kitty was a legendary American stunt performer, daredevil, and rocket-powered vehicle driver who was deaf since childhood. 

She was born in 1946 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Contracting multiple diseases as a toddler resulted in a high fever that left her deaf. 

Throughout her life, Kitty learned various communication modes and adapted to various audiences, eventually preferring speaking and lip reading the most. O'Neil refused to see her deafness as a hindrance, instead referring to it as an asset. 

She later discovered a passion for diving, but a wrist injury and illness ended her chances of competing. She remained committed, however, to achieving her dream of becoming a professional athlete.

O'Neil began dabbling in high-speed sports such as water skiing and motorcycle racing. She was an action junkie who did daring stunts like jumping from helicopters and falling from great heights while set on fire. 

She rose to prominence in the late 1970s as a stunt double for films and television series such as The Bionic Woman (1976), Wonder Woman (1977-1979), and The Blues Brothers (1980). She was the first woman to join Stunts Unlimited, a group of Hollywood's best stunt performers.

O'Neil was named "the fastest woman alive" in 1976 after speeding across the Alvord Desert at 512.76 miles per hour! She drove the Motivator, a rocket-powered car, and broke the previous women's land-speed record by nearly 200 mph. 

When she easily broke the women's record, it became clear that she could easily break the men's record as well. Unfortunately, her sponsors would not allow her to break the overall record because it would jeopardise the status quo — they wanted the feat to be reserved for a male driver.

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