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Australian jockey Michelle Payne became the first woman to win the Melbourne Cup, riding Prince of Penzance on Tuesday, November 3. Payne said she hopes her win will open doors for female jockeys because she believes "that we (females) sort of don't get enough of a go." Michael Dodge/Getty Images
Serena Williams has won 21 Grand Slam singles titles, putting her third on the all-time list. She has been ranked No. 1 in the world six times and is the oldest No. 1 player in WTA history. Williams is also the most recent player, male or female, to hold all four major singles titles at the same time. Julian Finney/Getty Images
UFC fighter Ronda Rousey, the women's bantamweight champion, has never lost in mixed martial arts, and she holds the UFC record for quickest finish in a title fight: 14 seconds. Rousey also won a bronze medal in judo at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC/Getty
At 18, New Zealand's Lydia Ko became the youngest winner of a women's major when she won the Evian Championship in September. Her victory also made her the youngest golfer, male or female, to win a major title since 1868. She already held the record for the youngest winner on the LPGA Tour, claiming the Canadian Open as a 15-year-old amateur in 2012. Ko is also the youngest to reach No. 1 in the world rankings. JEAN-PIERRE CLATOT/AFP/Getty Images
Jennifer Welter, a veteran player on professional women's football teams, became the National Football League's first female coach when she was hired as a training camp and preseason intern for the Arizona Cardinals in 2015. Welter is also the first woman to coach in a men's professional football league, having been named a coach for the Indoor Football League's Texas Revolution. Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Danica Patrick holds the only victory by a woman in an IndyCar Series race, having won the 2008 Indy Japan 300. By coming in third at the Indianapolis 500 in 2009, she achieved the best finish ever by a female driver in the race. She also holds the highest finish by a female driver in NASCAR's Daytona 500. Daniel Shirey/Getty Images
Laila Ali, the daughter of boxing legend Muhammad Ali, began her boxing career in 1999 at the age of 18. She went on to have an undefeated boxing career, winning 24 fights before retiring in 2007. TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty
Abby Wambach has scored more international goals (184) than any soccer player in history, male or female. She received the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year award in 2011, becoming the first individual soccer player to do so. She played her last World Cup this year and helped the United States win the tournament. She has since announced she will retire from the sport. FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images
Lindsey Vonn became the first American woman to win the gold medal in downhill skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics. She has also won four World Cup titles in her career to go with an Olympic bronze and six medals at the World Championships. Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom/Getty Images
