Question: What Texas-born stuntwoman was known as “the fastest woman in the world”?
Answer: Kitty O’Neil. Born in Corpus Christi in 1946, she lost her hearing as an infant and became a competitive diver as a teenager. She later took up water skiing, hang gliding, and racing motorcycles before embarking on a career as a stuntwoman. O’Neil performed stunts for characters in numerous films, including The Bionic Woman, The Blues Brothers, and Smokey and the Bandit II.
In 1976, O’Neil set the land-speed record for female drivers in a three-wheeled rocket car, reaching 621 mph in Oregon’s Alvord Desert. The record stood until 2019. When O’Neil retired, she held 22 land and water speed records. She died in 2018, and she was recognized with a Google Doodle in 2023.
