Samantha Schultz spoke on a panel at Women With Drive: Pikes Peak to discuss how women are blazing a trail as leaders in both sports and society. For the first time in history, the Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb race featured six women drivers.
Being a female in sport was never something that seemed strange to me growing up, but there are times where I have felt inadequate or seen as less than my male teammates or competitors. I thankfully grew up in a location and generation where girls were not limited in sports they could participate in growing up. I remember my mother telling me the only sports she was able to do in high school were cheer, swimming, synchronized swimming, and tennis. This seems like nothing compared to multiple options that were available to me in high school with sports such as cross country and track, swimming, skiing, lacrosse, basketball, volleyball, poms, tennis, gymnastics, etc.
I didn’t necessarily feel I was in a world that didn’t see female athletes the same as male athletes until I began the sport of modern pentathlon which consists of fencing, swimming, equestrian jumping, running, and shooting.
I learned the first Olympics that women were included in the competition was the 2000 Sydney games, despite pentathlon being an original Olympic sport since the 1912 games in Stockholm, Sweden. Women were first admitted at a yearly world championships event in 1977, and at the official world championships in 1981. Women had been competing in world championships for years before they could compete in the summer Olympics.
Why was it so long before they were introduced to the Olympics? Was it because something that incorporated fencing or shooting wasn’t lady-like? Or was it because women were not regarded as highly as men, making it seem unworthy of a spot in the Olympic games?
Those are things that I will most likely never know the answer to, but I do know many of those women in the past helped pave the way for women like myself and those that follow.
From left to right: Pikes Peak Driver Laura Hayes, Pikes Peak Driver Loni Unser, Modern Pentathlon Olympian Sammy Schultz, RBC Wealth Management Brand Marketing Manager Kristina Kern, RBC Wealth Management VP of Marketing Strategy & Analytics Meredith Chopka, and World Champion Hand Cyclist Kate Brim.
Not only has the journey for women to compete at the highest levels differed from that of men, but financial and sponsorship support also reveals significant disparities. Studies consistently show that women are paid less and receive fewer sponsorships compared to their male counterparts. The Paris Olympics will be one of the first Olympics where there will be equal men and women represented in the games for Team USA which is incredible, but also strange that it is only just happening now in 2024.
This is not only happening in Olympic sports, but also other events such as motorsports, and horse racing. Women are just starting to make more of an appearance, but not nearly to the level of 50/50 representation or equal sponsorship opportunities. I am happy to see these numbers changing over the years and women being able to take part in sports they love regardless of whether it’s traditionally seen as a “man’s” sport. I recall hearing athletes in my sport claim that the women's level of competition was inferior to the men's and not as strong. We did not compete against men like some sports such as equestrian or motorsports, but I trained with the men on my team, and they helped to push me and make me a stronger athlete. There were also times where my skills also came in handy for helping to support and challenge the men I trained with.
Modern pentathlon originated as a calvary sport, something that men in the military participated in. Fencing, swimming, equestrian, running, and shooting skills were all things a soldier would need to deliver and defend a message across enemy lines. As a female veteran for the U.S. Army and a former athlete in the World Class Athlete Program, I felt I had to prove myself in what felt like a man’s world. Once I proved myself as tough, strong, fit, and resilient enough, I felt that I got the respect from my leadership and my other male soldiers. With that came a new role of being a leader and helping not just the other female soldiers around me, but also the men. We were a team that needed to work together to be stronger. I do not blame others for questioning my ability as a woman, but I think everyone must be given those opportunities and an equal playing field to shine. Women have many skills and assets that we can bring to the table, but does that mean we are left feeling we constantly have to prove ourselves to everyone else?
Sponsorships are how athletes survive in their respective sports, and I think we all have seen the grit, determination, and drive women have when they are passionate about their sport. There are times when I feel men and women are still compared, but each event and sport is different. I am so grateful and proud of all the women that came before me to pave this path for not just the women in my generation but those to come. Just because our gender is female does not indicate we are any less capable or less deserving of sponsorships. Every woman I know out there competing in and Olympic, Paralympic or non-Olympic sport works their hardest and recent Parity research shows that women athletes are regarded as societal role models, because of what they sacrifice and work towards accomplishing.
I have seen the change and the movement grow, but it takes us all to help build and support one another to make this happen.
From left to right: Pikes Peak Driver Laura Hayes, Pikes Peak Driver Loni Unser, Parity CEO Leela Srinivasan, Modern Pentathlon Olympian Sammy Schultz, World Champion Hand Cyclist Kate Brim and WIMNA Executive Director Cindy Sisson.
Having the opportunity to take part in the Women with Drive event at the US Olympic and Paralympic Museum before the 102nd Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb was such an incredible opportunity. I have never met any drivers that have competed in the hill climb, but this year I met two incredible women, Loni Unser and Laura Hayes, who were taking part. I also met Kate Brim, a remarkable two-time world champion in hand cycling who just qualified for her first Paralympic Games. These women were wise beyond their years and not just women with drive, but women with passion and an ability to give back to their sport and community to help change and pave a new path for those girls and women that come after us.
I am grateful to presenting partner RBC Wealth Management and to all the sponsors that made the event possible. Brands that choose to invest in women athletes have been such a force to help so many women in sport continue their dreams and passions.
“Fight for the things that you care about. But do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” — Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Watch the video replay of Women with Drive Pikes Peak presented by RBC Wealth Management and co-hosted by Parity and Women in Motorsports North America (WIMNA).
About Parity
Minority-founded in 2020, Parity's mission is to close the gender income and opportunity gap in professional sports. By developing high-impact collaborations between brands, professional women athletes and their fans, Parity has proudly put more than $3.5 million in the pockets of women athletes, attracting dozens of brands to the movement in the process. The platform offers connections to more than 1000 women athletes from 80+ sports, including well over 200 Olympians and Paralympians. For more information on how to tap into the rapidly rising influence and popularity of women athletes, visit https://paritynow.co or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Threads.
About RBC Wealth Management – U.S.
Founded in 1909, RBC Wealth Management delivers trusted advice and world-class wealth solutions to individuals, families and institutions. A subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), it is one of the largest full-service wealth management firms in the U.S., supporting the complex needs of high-net-worth and institutional clients by providing access to private banking, credit, investment management, asset management and other services. In the United States, RBC Wealth Management has $583billion in total client assets with more than 2,100 financial advisors operating from 190 locations in 42 states. RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, LLC, registered investment adviser and Member NYSE/FINRA/SIPC. Learn more at rbcwm.com.
