Rena "Rusty" Kanokogi (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
A woman from Brooklyn has recently been awarded a medal for a Judo tournament she won 50 years ago.
Rena "Rusty" Kanokogi, disguised as a boy, competed in the 1959 YMCA New York State Judo Championships and won a gold medal. When officials discovered she was a girl, however, she was forced to return the medal or see her team disqualified.
That one frustrating event led Kanokogi to 50 years of Women's Judo advocacy, resulting in its ultimate acceptance as an Olympic sport in 1992. In honor of her achievements, the YMCA held a ceremony last Friday returning the medal.
You can read further details here: RPT-FEATURE-Judo-'Mother of Judo' receives her gold 50 years on.
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