12 Notable Filipinas in Sports

March being a Women's History Month, below are 12 Filipino women (Filipinas or Pinays) who made history as being first in the field of sports.

1. Eden Serina - the first Filipina and only Snowboard Racer from the Philippines on the World Cup Circuit
2. Victoria Manalo Draves - (AKA Victoria Taylor Manalo) the first Filipina-American, first Eurasian and first Woman Olympic Gold Medalist in both platform and springboard diving events in the 1948 London Olympic Game
3. Ani De Leon-Brown - the first Filipina Ironman in Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii (2008)
4. Luz McClinton -  the first Filipina to win the Pro Fame Figure World Championship in the USA in 2010 and the only one with a figure bodybuilding title, who was also declared the world’s best at the 2012 World Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (WBFF) Southwest U.S. Championship in Oklahoma, USA. Other awards she have won were the 2012  Phil-Asian Pacific International Body Building Competition in Cebu City, the 2012 Cebu Philippines and 2012 UBFFP Ms. Phil- Asia. Also, she was the Fame International 2010 Champion, Iron Pinoy Figure Champion 2010, Overall National Cebu Champion 2010, Fame Muscle Model Silver 2010, Ms. Boracay 2010, Ms. Physique Philippines 2009, Ms. Universe Figure 2009 and Ms. Fitness Philippines 2006.
   
5. Monica Torres - the first Filipina to compete in the Professional category of the 2013 Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Philippines
   
6. Noelle Wenceslao - one of the First Filipina Everest Summiteers who reached the summit of Mt. Everest on May 20, 2007 at 6:20 a.m. Nepal time (8:20 a.m. in Manila) 10 minutes earlier than Carina Dayondon of southern Bukidnon
   who is also one of the First Filipina Everest Summiteers. Noelle is a member of the Philippine Dragon Boat team, an expert biker and extreme adventure athlete. The third member of the team was Janet Belarmino who reached the summit three hours later. Wenceslao and Belarmino are both from Luzon. 
7. Bong Coo - (AKA Olivia Garcia Coo) the first Filipina athlete listed in the Guinness Book of World Records (1979). She is also the first Filipina Bowler to establish the first commercial synthetic bowling lanes in the Philippines (1995), first Filipina Bowler enshrined in the World Bowling Writers International Bowling Hall of Fame (1993), first Filipina Bowler to pioneer in the Pro Shop business (Bong Coo Sports, 1991), first Filipina Bowler who became the first Philippine member of the International Bowling Pro Shops and Instructors Association (1991), and first Filipina Bowler to win a Gold Medal in Women All Event of the IX World Championships (1979).
8. Joy Rojas - the first Filipina and first Southeast Asian woman to run across 3,107 miles across the United States (2009) and first Filipina to run across the Philippines, from Davao City to Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, in 46 days (2005).
9. Weena Lim - (AKA Amparo Lim) the first Filipina badminton Olympian (1996 Women's Singles - Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia), first Filipina Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist (with doubles partner Kennevic Asuncion as the 1st Filipino SEA Games bronze medalist, 1997), first Filipina badminton player to achieve the first ever international badminton title for the Philippines (Asian Prince Junior Tournaments in Hong Kong, 1985), and first Filipina to win all badminton matches at the Asian Prince Junior Tournaments in Hong Kong (1985).
10. Jennifer Rosales - the first Filipina golfer to win on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour
11. Layla Loxa - (AKA Lelit Biolango Stephens) the first Filipina-American World Bodysurfer Champion in Women’s 18-29 category of the 26th Annual World Bodysurfing Championship (2002)
12. Jujeath Nagaowa - the first Filipina MMA fighter to see action in ONE FC 2013 (ONE Fighting Championship: Moment of Truth) at the Mall of Asia Arena.. She is a former WBC Asia Atomweight champ (12 wins, 13 losses) looking to transition over to MMA. She will fight again in ONE FC: Rise of Heroes on May 2, 2014 at the Mall of Asia (MOA).