Know all about Kitty O’Neil; 'World’s fastest woman’ and world record-holder stuntwoman

Google paid a tribute to legendary stuntwoman and speed racer Kitty O’Neil on Friday by dedicating her a doodle on her 77th birthday. O’Neil started off as a swimmer, before transitioning into a speed racer on water and land. Despite being growing up without her hearing ability, she didn’t let anything stop her and went on to script several world records in stunting and racing world. As per Google Trent, Kitty O'Neil was searched over 10 million times in India on Friday, March 24.

Bone on March 24, 1946, O’Neil tragically lost her hearing due to a combination of childhood illnesses. Her mor n taught her to lip-re and use sign langu as she joined a swimming team at of 12 in 1958. Four years later, she started training with diving coach Sammy Lee, who was first Asian American to bring Olympic gold glory to US. 

From Olympics dream to speed racing records

However, she broke her wrist right ahe of Olympics trials in 1964. O’Neil’s diving career was cut short after she contracted spinal meningitis same year. Six years later she took up racing on water, and land, racing motorcycles, and automobiles, and set official women's water ski speed record by clicking 104.85 mph.

After venturing into stunt work in mid-70s, she started training with Hal Needham, Duffy Hambleton, and Dar Robinson. In 1976, O’Neil became one of first stunt women to work with Stunts Unlimited, which was leing stunt ncy in Hollywood. However, she set one of her most elusive speed records on December 6, 1976.

Fastest female driver on land and water

She clocked a speed of 512.71 mph in a three-wheeled rocket car kwn as SMI Motivator and set land-speed record for female drivers. record stayed intact till 2019 when it was broken by  “Mythbuster” Jessi Combs. Unfortunately, Combs lost her life in an attempt to break record.

list of records broken by O’Neil continued to double as she set women's record for speed on water by clocking 275 mph in 1977. same year, she drove a rocket dragster in Mojave Desert at an aver speed of 279.5 mph. However, this is t considered to be an official drag racing record as according to National Hot Rod Association rules, run needs to be repeated to be recognized as a record.

Kitty O'Neil's record-shattering stunt in Wonder Woman

Meanwhile, she is also remembered for setting high-fall record of jumping from 127-foot (12 stories) while working as a stunt woman in TV show ‘Wonder Woman’ in 1979. She landed part as a substitute for Jeannie Eppe, who was regular stunt double for actor Lynda Carter. She took jump from Valley Hilton rooftop in Sherman Oaks, CA and landed into an inflatable air bag on hotel's pool deck.

This is regarded as her most famous Hollywood stunt, and she was also set herself on fire during her career. Kitty also h her own Barbie doll action figure and her experiences served as basis for a biographical movie called, “Silent Victory: Kitty O'Neil Story.”  She relocated from Los Angeles to Eureka in 1993, where she sly passed away in 2019. She left being children and survivors and was never married.