Rena Kanokogi
In 1959, Kanokogi entered a judo tournament in New York disguised as a man. Women competing in fighting sports in America let alone judo was unimaginable, but Kanokogi beat the odds when she won the tournament. However when her cover was blown, officials forced her to hand in her medals. In 1980, she found the world’s first female judo world championship, held in Madison Square Garden.