This text looks closely at different groups of women who have become sporting heroines. It focuses on five specific groups of women from different places in the world and these are: South African women; Muslim women from the Middle East; Aboriginal women from Australia and Canada; and lesbian and disabled women from different countries world-wide. The particular groups of women featured in the book reflect the need to look at specific categories of difference - relating to class, culture, disability, ethnicity, "race", religion and sexual orientation. The book illustrates the ways in which the partcipation of women in sport across the world is tied to their sense of difference and identity. Each chapter includes material which relates to significant political and cultural developments and is based on original research.