Space and the Olympics!

Hello All,

What a fascinating 10 days or so – two billionaire astronauts! I do have a fascination with space, mostly because my dad worked at NASA. He loved space – he met astronauts – he saw the highs and lows of the space program. He would talk about this at dinner. I remember where I was when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon (“That’s one small step for man…..”) and when Challenger exploded (my dad was devastated). So I watched with interest these new adventures, which will eventually lead to space travel being as commonplace as getting on a plane. (Well, for some people! I am pretty sure I will only be seeing space in pictures!)

The billionaires though weren’t the reason I was excited. It was all about Mary Wallace “Wally” Funk! At 82 years old, the oldest person to go into space. What an incredible woman she is and what achievements! She loved planes from early on and took her first flying lesson at age 9. In high school, she was not allowed to take courses like auto mechanics or mechanical drawing because she was a girl. Home Ec would have been her only option. (Stars above – no pun intended – I took Home Ec and Bob would say, and all would willingly agree, that I failed – LOL.) So Wally left high school at 16 years old and took a different flight path. She went to Stephens College in Missouri and became a member of their “Flying Susies”. She ranked first in her class of 24 fliers! She graduated in 1958 with an Associates of Art degree and her pilot’s license. She then went to Oklahoma State University where she joined the “Flying Aggies” program. She graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Secondary Education and an impressive number of aviation certificates, ratings and awards.

In 1961, Wally volunteered for the Women in Space Program. She was accepted at 21 years old, even though the recruiting age was from 25 to 40 years old – that was how impressive her flying background was! Twenty-five women were invited – 19 enrolled – 13 graduated, who were nicknamed the “Mercury 13”. She survived rigorous testing – both physical and academic. She even tested better than some of the male pilots did on their tests (like John Glenn). She was qualified to go into space. But the program was cancelled when private funding was stopped.

Wally applied to NASA on four separate occasions once NASA started allowing female applicants. She was turned down because she did not have an engineering degree or background as a test pilot. None of that stopped Wally. In her illustrious career, she was:

The first female civilian flight instructor for noncommissioned and commissioned officers of the U.S. Army at Fort Sill, Oklahoma – at age 20. Reportedly, to get her job she “waltzed into the local airfield office and asked ‘Does anybody need a flight instructor?'” (I love this woman!)

The first female air safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board.

The first female Aviation Agency Inspector.

In 2017, Mary Wallace Funk’s name was inscribed on the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Wall of Honor “in recognition of your contributions to our aviation and exploration heritage.” First an aviator – now an official astronaut. The completion of a lifelong dream. What a joy it was to watch her float in space! What a true gift she has been and is to our aviation history. One of my new heroes.

And the Olympics are here! I am a true Olympics nerd. I love everything about them – the pomp and the pageantry of the opening and closing ceremonies, the drama of the competition, the human spirit and determination that shines through. I watch events and sports I never watch at any other time. I will be captivated every evening watching these incredible athletes, who have been practicing their craft for years, compete for metals. I will shed tears of joy for those who win and achieve their dreams, and tears of sorrow for those who don’t (and I hardly care what country they represent – it is the sheer joy they have that makes a difference). I am amazed when they push themselves to break world records (go Katie Ledecky!) and to do things that no other competitor has done (bring on Simone Biles!).

For these 12 days, the entire world comes together. For these 12 days, it is the pure joy of being part of something so much larger than ourselves.

Jill Biden ended her letter to the USA Tokyo Olympics’ Team with these words:

“Your entire nation is cheering you on and we are grateful for what you’ve given us: the chance to come together in common awe and appreciation for your accomplishments and the shared joy of rooting for our country on the edge of our seats.

In these moments, we are more than our cities or states or backgrounds. We are more than our jobs or our political parties. We are united. We are all, first and foremost, Team USA.”

GO USA!

Phyl