It’s the year 1990, in the small town of Vinton, Louisiana, where a horse race is about to get started. A thick fog has settled on Delta Downs Racecourse. Visibility for this one-mile race is almost zero. It seems like winning is going to be a close-your-eyes-and-hope situation. But jockey Sylvester Carmouche has a sneaky plan to take them all by surprise. 

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Long before Serena, Ash and Naomi, women’s tennis was dominated by one name. Known as “la Divine” - The Goddess - Suzanne Lenglen was a trailblazer in every sense of the word. Not only was she an unstoppable force on the court, but she was also a pioneer of fame, fashion and celebrity in women's sport. 

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There’s nothing wrong with a little sibling rivalry. But if you can’t back it up in the sporting arena yourself, maybe don’t provoke your brother or sister. When Maria Teresa de Filippis took an interest in motor racing, her brothers mocked her. They didn't think she stood a chance. Well, that was all the inspiration Maria needed to prove them wrong. 

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Justine Blainey was playing ice hockey as early as 7 years old. She loved it so much that she was determined to go pro, but her aggressive style of play often got her into trouble with the referee. So, she opted to join the boys team, where bodychecking was allowed. But that move was far easier said than done. 

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Most of us, if we’re lucky, will get the chance to grow old. It's a time for retirement and relaxation, for slowing down and watching the world go by. But that wasn't the case for Man Kaur. In 2009, aged 93, she spontaneously decided to take up running. And then, she took on the world.  

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Nineteen boxers competed in the 1960 Olympic Games. And after three rounds of wins, Australian Tony Madigan reached the semi-finals, looking for a place in the gold medal bout. His opponent? A promising but little-known amateur, boxing in his first ever Olympics: Cassius Clay. 

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It’s human nature to want to push the limits of our capabilities. But it’s easy to forget that some things, which seem ordinary now, weren’t so simple until we achieved them. Midway through the 20th century, running a mile in under 4 minutes seemed impossible. But one man dared to try: a medical student from London named Roger Bannister.

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Dakar Rally is one of the world’s toughest motor races. Since the late 70s, the globe’s best rally drivers have competed in the off-road endurance event. But prior to 2001, the race had only seen male champions. Then came Jutta Kleinschmidt, who was determined to shake things up a bit.  
 

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Australians practically wrote the book on how to do cricket right - from the backyard to summer afternoons at the 'G. But even in this sunburnt country, we still needed a Plan B for a rainy day. So we headed indoors to invent a whole new kind of game.

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Climbing Everest is an adventurer’s dream. But for Spanish mountaineer, Edurne Pasaban, it wasn't enough. She wanted to become the first woman to climb all “eight-thousanders”, the world’s highest peaks, above 8,000 metres. So, one down and thirteen more to go... 

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CrossFit is like regular gym, but faster and with more handstands. It requires all-round body strength and incredible willpower. It probably helps to have a good sense of humour too, because the sport certainly has its critics. It's no wonder then, that an Aussie has won more CrossFit world titles than anyone. 

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