Kitty oneil cause of death

After becoming the first woman to join the elite team at Stunts Unlimitedinshe was a double for the stars of two hit American TV series. Standing in for Lynda Carter in Wonder Woman from untilshe memorably leapt head first from a height of ft from kitty oneil cause of death roof of the Valley Hilton hotel in Sherman Oaks, California. The superhero — the first woman to feature prominently in American comic books — was then seen apprehending a villain leaving the hotel.

Deaf since childhood, O'Neil didn't let it stop her from becoming "the world's fastest woman. Long before Kitty O'Neil was a legendary stunt artist and record-setting daredevil, she had to overcome losing her hearing as a baby. Rather than let her impairment be a barrier to success, she often referred to it as an asset, as it let her focus on her tasks while on her way to becoming "the world's fastest woman. On Friday, Google dedicated its Doodle to O'Neil on her 77th birthday, highlighting the inspirational figure she became. Born March 24, , in Corpus Christi, Texas, O'Neil was 5 months old when she was simultaneously diagnosed with mumps, measles and smallpox. The conditions caused a high fever that led to her deafness. Her mother, a Cherokee homemaker, taught O'Neil speech and to lip-read rather than use sign language.

Kitty oneil cause of death

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However, female stunt artists still face discrimination, allied to the challenge of doing the same work as men while often wearing skimpy outfits that allow no room for padding. After Kitty became deaf, her mother taught her lip-reading and how to speak, and she learned to play the piano and cello kitty oneil cause of death sensing subtle changes in vibrations. At the age of 12, Kitty took up diving and won local and state competitions.

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After becoming the first woman to join the elite team at Stunts Unlimited , in , she was a double for the stars of two hit American TV series. Standing in for Lynda Carter in Wonder Woman from until , she memorably leapt head first from a height of ft from the roof of the Valley Hilton hotel in Sherman Oaks, California. The superhero — the first woman to feature prominently in American comic books — was then seen apprehending a villain leaving the hotel. The fearless stunt artist was confronting the bad guys again they were invariably male in The Bionic Woman when she doubled for Lindsay Wagner as Jaime Sommers, who had been rebuilt with bionic legs, right arm and right ear, following a near-fatal skydiving accident. However, female stunt artists still face discrimination, allied to the challenge of doing the same work as men while often wearing skimpy outfits that allow no room for padding. In she became the fastest female driver by hitting Her father was an oil prospector turned US army air forces major.

Kitty oneil cause of death

Image credit: Ky Michaelson. A trailblazer in the entertainment industry, she made history with her death-defying speeds, leaps and courage. From 12 stories feet high, she leapt off the Valley Hilton hotel in Sherman Oaks, California onto an airbag atop the pool deck — setting a new high-fall record in the process pictured right. A car roll is a a stunt in which an explosive charge propels a vehicle to flip over multiple times. Once the action was complete, the flames needed to be quickly extinguished before the fire could penetrate the suit. In , she combined her skills by setting the record for both the longest and highest fall attempted by a woman while afire, completing a foot drop in a fully ablaze fire-suit. She then turned to off-road racing, driving cars and motorcycles in events like the Mint and Baja For an official land-speed record, the driver must make two passes across a measured course, one out and one back; officials then average the two speeds. To give some context, the average passenger airplane cruising speed is about mph. That same year she set the fastest quarter mile in history in a rocket dragster at 3.

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Deaf since childhood, O'Neil didn't let it stop her from becoming "the world's fastest woman. Along the way, she set records for women's high-fall twice , women's speed on water and women's fastest waterskiing. However, female stunt artists still face discrimination, allied to the challenge of doing the same work as men while often wearing skimpy outfits that allow no room for padding. Her mother, a Cherokee homemaker, taught O'Neil speech and to lip-read rather than use sign language. At the age of 12, Kitty took up diving and won local and state competitions. Photograph: Bettmann Archive. Reuse this content. Steven Musil. Her mother would eventually become a speech therapist and open a school for the hearing impaired. But she's perhaps best known for setting the women's land speed record. After becoming the first woman to join the elite team at Stunts Unlimited , in , she was a double for the stars of two hit American TV series. Standing in for Lynda Carter in Wonder Woman from until , she memorably leapt head first from a height of ft from the roof of the Valley Hilton hotel in Sherman Oaks, California. Expertise I have more than 30 years' experience in journalism in the heart of the Silicon Valley.

She was a stuntwoman, a racer, a diver, a water skier, and a record breaker. She was also deaf since infancy, but that did not stop her from pursuing her passions and dreams.

She subsequently switched to water-skiing, then car racing and cross-country motorcycle racing. She joined his racing team and he trained her as a stunt performer. This article is more than 5 years old. Born March 24, , in Corpus Christi, Texas, O'Neil was 5 months old when she was simultaneously diagnosed with mumps, measles and smallpox. Explore more on these topics US television Texas Deafness and hearing loss obituaries. After becoming the first woman to join the elite team at Stunts Unlimited , in , she was a double for the stars of two hit American TV series. On Dec. Her marriages to John Piazza and Thomas Justice both ended in divorce. She raced drag boats, motorcycles and sports cars before embarking on a career as a stuntwoman that saw her leaping off buildings, being dangled out of high-rise windows and getting set on fire. The superhero — the first woman to feature prominently in American comic books — was then seen apprehending a villain leaving the hotel. Comments … Sign in or create your Guardian account to join the discussion. Along the way, she set records for women's high-fall twice , women's speed on water and women's fastest waterskiing.