Las Amazonas de Yaxunah play a softball game during a visit by actor Yalitza Aparicio. Women don’t typically play sports in their community and took time to get men to accept that it was something fun they could excel at while improving their fitness.
(ESPN Deportes)
Jad El Reda
Why this story stuck with me: If you want to talk about women empowerment, take a loot at The Amazonas of Yaxunah. I had the blessing of traveling to Yaxunah in Yucatán, México, to meet a special group of indigenous women that defied their society, culture and history, just by picking a softball and running bases barefooted. The Mayan women became a national and international sensation but remained untouched in their humility and desire to let the world know that while wearing their traditional huipiles anything is possible. From playing on the sandy fields of their town, then stealing bases at the Phoenix’s Chase Field and to watching their story on the big screen during the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF), there is nothing impossible for these women. I dedicate this to my mother, my wife, my daughter, my sisters, and to the many women that have impacted my life in one way or another and it was important to share the story of The Amazonas with the world.