Champion athletes will join the world's best golfers on the 28th March for the first ever ANA Inspiring Women in Sports Conference at Mission Hills Country Club.
The world’s best golfers will not be the only champion female athletes at this year’s ANA Inspiration, as tournament officials last night announced the first-ever ANA Inspiring Women in Sports Conference, slated for Tuesday, March 29 at Mission Hills Country Club.
Female sporting icons Missy Franklin, Annika Sorenstam, Lindsey Vonn, Abby Wambach and Kristi Yamaguchi will headline the inaugural conference, which will include a series of panels and discussions about the state of women’s sports, female athletes as role models, using sports as a platform to inspire women of all ages, and what it takes to be a champion. Swimmer Jessica Long will also share her inspiring story of overcoming a double leg amputation at 18 months old to become the one of the most decorated Paralympians in history.
The announcement of groundbreaking new ANA Inspiring Women in Sports Conference was made at a special launch event held in Beverley Hills attended by defending ANA Inspiration champion Brittany Lincicome alongside LPGA stars Cristie Kerr and Alison Lee, two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup ChampionJulie Foudy andworld-class swimmer and 12-time Paralympic gold medalist Jessica Long.
Speaking at the launch Gabe Codding, ANA Inspiration tournament director, said:
“The ANA Inspiring Women in Sports Conference is an incredible platform to showcase the stories of the world’s best female athletes and learn from their successes in the Olympics and in life”.
“We are so grateful to our partner ANA for sharing in the vision to help tell these inspirational stories amidst the backdrop of the LPGA’s most iconic venue. It will be an absolute thrill to welcome these sports legends to Mission Hills Country Club and watch them interact with the LPGA’s best.”
Arianna Huffington, the co-founder, president and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group, and author of 15 books, will deliver the keynote address on the habits of successful women. Foudy will serve as host and moderator.
Wambach, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, will accept the inaugural ANA Inspiration Award, which is given to a female athlete, entrepreneur or philanthropist who, through her effort and determination on or off the playing field, has inspired other women to break barriers and achieve success.
LPGA player panelists and additional contributors for the conference will be announced in the coming weeks.
At the conclusion of the ANA Inspiring Women in Sports Conference, the first-ever ANA FootGolf Challenge will take place on the adjacent Palmer Course at Mission Hills Country Club. American soccer legends Wambach and Foudy will team up with two American LPGA players in a six-hole competition against Japanese National Team legends Ayumi Kaihori and Yayao Kobayashi and two of their Japanese compatriots from the LPGA.
FootGolf, the hybrid sport where soccer meets golf, is played with a regulation soccer ball on shortened golf holes with 21-inch diameter cups cut into the greens. The rules largely correspond with the Rules of Golf. The American FootGolf League (AFGL), which is based in Palm Springs, will oversee the setup of the ANA FootGolf Challenge course and competition.
The conference will take place in advance of the season’s first major where defending champion Brittany Lincicome will seek to become the fourth player in LPGA history to win the ANA Inspiration three times. She will be joined by Rolex No. 1 Lydia Ko, No. 2 Inbee Park, No. 3 and 2014 champion Lexi Thompson, No. 4 and 2011 champion Stacy Lewis and No. 5 Ha Na Jang, a two-time winner on Tour in 2016. The full field for the 2016 ANA Inspiration will be announced on Tuesday, March 22.
