UNCA hosts Hogshead-Makar to honor champions, leaders

ASHEVILLE – Take a stand.

That was the message of a three-time Olympic gold medalist who spoke passionately about women in athletics at Kimmel Arena on Tuesday.

Nancy Hogshead-Makar was the headline speaker at the “Our Turn to Play” luncheon, which honored women as champions and leaders and served as a fundraiser for the UNC Asheville student-athlete scholarship fund.

Now a civil rights attorney, Hogshead-Makar, 51, won one silver and three gold medals in swimming at the 1984 Olympics.

Her speech implored young women to set goals and achieve them by making a commitment to be the best they can be at their chosen endeavor.

“When I was a young, I knew I wanted to be a champion swimmer, so I took a stand that I would sacrifice, work hard and do whatever it took to achieve that,” she said.

“Nancy’s message about taking a stand applies to not only athletics but life. Each of us can choose to be a champion and a leader every day,” said Asheville athletic director Janet Cone.

“"We want to thank not only Nancy but Wells Fargo and all of our attendees for supporting the Our Turn to Play Luncheon. It was a great success.”

At the luncheon, the inaugural Trailblazer Award was given posthumously to Betsy Montgomery for her work with swimming in the community.

Montgomery, who died last year at age 88, was a prominent local swim coach who guided her daughter Mary to the 1972 Olympics.

Betsy Montgomery founded the Asheville Aquatic Club in 1964.

Amy Pless Fleming, one of her former swimmers and a member of the WNC Sports Hall of Fame, accepted the award in her coach’s memory.

Hogshead-Makar has been involved with the Women’s Sports Foundation for 29 years, serving as its president, legal adviser and currently as senior director of advocacy.

As collegiate athletics appears poised to undergo massive changes — with the possibility of unions for athletes and the NCAA superconferences distancing themselves from the rest of the schools — Hogshead-Makar said protecting the gender equity rights under Title IX is more important than ever.

“The law is crystal clear — equal is equal, but we are dealing with a (NCAA) model that is all about winning and profit instead of what is supposed to be the real mission of academics and fairness for young men and women,” she said.

“We have to be strong and powerful and be advocates for change to the current balance of power.”