Rebekah Colberg
Encyclopedia
Dr. Rebekah Colberg (December 25, 1918 – July 8, 1995),Dates of birth and death were provided and confirmed by the Puerto Rico Olympic Committee
-August 24, 2010 is known as "The Mother of Women's Sports in Puerto Rico".
when her mother was only seven months pregnant. Little did anybody imagine then, that someday Colberg, whose birth weight was only four pounds, would break sports barriers for Puerto Rican
women. Even though there used to be a lot of discrimination in sports against women, Colberg was to prove that women did have the potential to be great athletes, if given the chance.
Colberg graduated from the University of Puerto Rico
with a Bachelors Degree in science
and pharmacy
. She received her Masters in physical education
from Columbia University
in New York
and her Doctorate in medicine
from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM
).
champion. In 1938, she won two gold
medals at the IV Central American and Caribbean Games, celebrated in Panama
, in the discus
and javelin throw
events. In 1946, when the games were celebrated in Barranquilla
, Colombia
, she won a gold medal in softball
. While studying for her Masters Degree at Columbia University, she was in the university's field hockey
and lacrosse
championship teams. She was also a member of the undefeated women's basketball
team of the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
In 1952, Colberg was inducted into the Puerto Rican Athletic Hall of Fame and the Puerto Rican Tennis Hall of Fame. She is considered by many as the greatest woman athlete to have been born in Puerto Rico. Her cousin, the late Severo Colberg Ramirez, was the President of the Puerto Rican House of Representatives (Camara de Representantes) from 1980 to 1985. In 1993, Rebekah Colberg along with Eugenio Guerra and Manuel Luciano, the Puerto Rican silver medalists that participated in the 1930 Central American and Caribbean Games in Havana, handed the games torch to Puerto Rican basketball player Juan “Pachín” Vicéns during the official opening ceremonies of the 1993 Central American and Caribbean Games
Colberg died on July 8, 1985 in her native town and is buried in the Old San Juan Cemetery, Cementerio Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis.
there is also a Rebekah Colberg Muti-sports Gym.
Puerto Rico Olympic Committee
The Puerto Rico Olympic Committee ) is the National Olympic Committee for Puerto Rico. It oversees Olympic-sports in Puerto Rico, and selects the Olympic team which represents the island...
-August 24, 2010 is known as "The Mother of Women's Sports in Puerto Rico".
Early years
Colberg was born in Cabo Rojo, Puerto RicoCabo Rojo, Puerto Rico
Cabo Rojo is a municipality situated on the southwest coast of Puerto Rico and forms part of the San Germán–Cabo Rojo metropolitan area as well as the larger Mayagüez–San Germán–Cabo Rojo Combined Statistical Area....
when her mother was only seven months pregnant. Little did anybody imagine then, that someday Colberg, whose birth weight was only four pounds, would break sports barriers for Puerto Rican
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
women. Even though there used to be a lot of discrimination in sports against women, Colberg was to prove that women did have the potential to be great athletes, if given the chance.
Colberg graduated from the University of Puerto Rico
University of Puerto Rico
The University of Puerto Rico is the state university system of Puerto Rico. The system consists of 11 campuses and has approximately 64,511 students and 5,300 faculty members...
with a Bachelors Degree in science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
and pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
. She received her Masters in physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and her Doctorate in medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM
Unam
UNAM or UNaM may refer to:* National University of Misiones, a National University in Posadas, Argentina*National Autonomous University of Mexico , the large public autonomous university based in Mexico City...
).
Sports accomplishments
From 1932-1946, for fourteen consecutive years, Colberg was Puerto Rico's tennisTennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
champion. In 1938, she won two gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
medals at the IV Central American and Caribbean Games, celebrated in Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, in the discus
Discus
Discus, "disk" in Latin, may refer to:* Discus , a progressive rock band from Indonesia* Discus , a fictional character from the Marvel Comics Universe and enemy of Luke Cage* Discus , a freshwater fish popular with aquarium keepers...
and javelin throw
Javelin throw
The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
events. In 1946, when the games were celebrated in Barranquilla
Barranquilla
Barranquilla is an industrial port city and municipality located in northern Colombia, near the Caribbean Sea. The capital of the Atlántico Department, it is the largest industrial city and port in the Colombian Caribbean region with a population of 1,148,506 as of 2005, which makes it Colombia's...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, she won a gold medal in softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
. While studying for her Masters Degree at Columbia University, she was in the university's field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
and lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
championship teams. She was also a member of the undefeated women's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
team of the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
Later years
1993 Central American and Caribbean Games
The 17th Central American and Caribbean Games were held in Ponce, a city in southern Puerto Rico. The Games were held from November 19 to November 30, 1993 and included 3,570 athletes from 32 nations.-Organization and Planning:...
Colberg died on July 8, 1985 in her native town and is buried in the Old San Juan Cemetery, Cementerio Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis.
Honors
The City of Cabo Rojo honored Colberg's memory by naming a Coliseum after her (which became, in 1989, the home of what was Cabo Rojo's BSN team), and in Rio PiedrasSan Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
there is also a Rebekah Colberg Muti-sports Gym.
Further reading
- ZAMORA, F., & ESCABÍ, I. (1997). Autógrafo: seres ordinarios con vidas extraordinarias : guía del maestro. Colección Autógrafo, 1. [San Juan, P.R.], People Television - book of a TV series (in Spanish).