Five years after Boston 1967, I went to the Munich Olympics. I realized that major sponsorship could help me create the opportunity. I wrote a big proposal to Avon cosmetics on how creating a global series of women's races could lead to getting women in the Olympic marathon. People thought I was smoking poppy at the time. The longest event in the Olympic Games was 800m.
Kathrine SwitzerI do forgive people when they get it right, even people who in the past I thought were unforgivable.
Kathrine SwitzerA lack of forgiveness is a waste of time and it's very enriching to forgive and move on but those are things that come with time.
Kathrine SwitzerMost people don't know this but over the course of time, the official of the race in 1967 in Boston, who attacked me Jock Semple and I became very good friends. That gave me a whole new perspective on forgiveness.
Kathrine SwitzerWhen I go to the Boston Marathon now, I have wet shouldersโwomen fall into my arms crying. They're weeping for joy because running has changed their lives. They feel they can do anything.
Kathrine SwitzerWhen I got the women's marathon into the Olympics and we had races all over the world I thought, 'That's great, now we're heading towards total equality.' Then you see that there are women who are still not allowed to drive, get an education, or travel unless they have a male companion or can't carry their passport. There are those who are mired with incredible poverty in North Africa, the mid-east, South East Asia and there's a ridiculous amount of human trafficking.
Kathrine Switzer