Female pilot will make history as the oldest person to travel into space
Wally Funk was one of the “Mercury 13” pilots who in 1961 was part of a program to get women to qualify for Nasa’s astronaut program. The program was cancelled when the federal government announced women cannot use military facilities needed for space training, meaning none of the women ever made it to space. On the 20th of July 2021, at age 82, Wally will finally get the chance to fulfil her dreams of going to space as part of a four-person crew set to be launched into space by Blue Origin.
Female stress can be reduced by talking with friends
Researchers at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign determined that communicating with female friends decreases stress hormone levels for women across the lifespan. The study was published in the Journal of Women and Aging and across younger and older age groups, those working with familiar partners had consistently lower cortisol levels than those working with unfamiliar partners.
Brownes Dairy appoints first female CEO
For the first time in its 135-year history, Brownes Dairy will have Natalie Sarich-Dayton as their first female CEO after long-serving Tony Girgis stepped down. When asked about her promotion Natalie said, “It’s crucial WA business takes a leading role in promoting more women to leadership positions, and I’m honoured that Brownes has entrusted me with this vital role.”
First female chair appointed for Chair of the Fire and Emergency New Zealand board
Rebecca Keoghan will be the first woman Chair of the Fire and Emergency New Zealand Board (FENZ.) Rebecca is currently the Board’s Deputy Chair and holds an impressive understanding of rural volunteering and emergency services and specialist skills in health and safety, governance, risk management and culture change.
First female Indian golfer qualifies for Tokyo Olympics
23-year-old, Aditi Ashok, is the first female Indian golfer to make the Tokyo Olympics, despite missing 8 weeks of golf due to the COVID-19 restrictions. She will represent India after turning professional in 2016 and playing in two of the biggest Tours – LPGA and the Ladies European Tour (LET).
