The most inspiring sports moments of 2022

Amid controversy can come inspiration. Both on the way an athlete handles things in and out of the competitive area, In March 2022, University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas became the first transgender athlete to win an NCAA Division I championship. After swimming three seasons for the Penn men’s team, then following a season off due to COVID-19, Thomas won the women’s 500 freestyle at the NCAA swimming and diving championships. Thomas’ mere presence, let alone performance, was a cause of criticism from competitors and teammates, citing that she still has a physical competitive edge. Thomas, who began hormone therapy in the Spring of 2019, disagrees with, not the argument that athletes like herself will continue to muddy the cultural and athletic waters. Considering that has not been the case in the past. While transitioning has become a hot-button issue, especially politically in the United States, there are plenty who have drawn inspiration from Thomas’ situation. 

Even when superstars like gymnastics legend Simone Biles and soccer great Megan Rapinoe aren’t making news in their respective athletic fields, they’re being recognized for what they stand for as people. In July of this year, Biles and Rapinoe were presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Joe Biden. At age 25, Biles, the most decorated American gymnast of all time, became the youngest to receive the honor, citing her advocacy for abuse survivors. Rapinoe, a two-time Women’s World Cup winner, was honored for her important presence in the equal rights movement.

Redemption doesn’t need to be immediate. In the case of American snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis, it took 16 years for her to win Olympic gold finally. In 2006, at the Turin Games, Jacobellis seemingly was on her way to a first-place finish in the snowboard cross final when she tried a celebratory trick jump and fell, eventually finishing second. It was an embarrassing moment for Jacobellis, but she persevered. Then after failing to win gold in the next three Olympics, she finally came through in 2022. At the Beijing Games, Jacobellis teamed with Nate Baumgartner to win the inaugural mixed snowboard cross competition. 

Anytime Woods takes to the links in a competitive environment, sports fans will watch. That was certainly the case at the 2022 Masters when the 15-time major champion returned to tame Augusta for the first time since 2020 — and following his February ’21 car accident. It looked as if this would be another special weekend at Augusta for Woods, who shot an opening-round, 1-under 71 to sit tied for 10th — and showed that he might just be superhuman. However, Tiger did not shoot better than 74 over the next three rounds, and with a noticeable limp during the weekend, finished 13 over, in 47th place.

In 2020, Alyssa Nakken became the first woman on-field coach in Major League Baseball history, coaching the bases for the San Francisco Giants during exhibition play. On April 12 of this year, however, she took it a step further and became the first female to record the same feat in a regular-season contest. After Giants first-base coach Antoan Richardson was ejected in the third inning against San Diego, Nakken stepped in his place for a truly historic moment.

For Ons Jabeur, she’s not really playing tennis for herself. It’s almost as if she has the weight of a nation, perhaps the African continent and even the Arab world, on her shoulders. Among the best women’s tennis players on Earth, Jabeur made significant strides in her career in 2022. She became the first Tunisian and Arab tennis player to win a WTA event after claiming the 2022 Madrid Open title in May. Then, Jabeur was the first Arab of either gender to reach the finals of a grand slam event — at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2022.

Cinderella stories and the NCAA Tournament go hand-and-hand. As sports fans, we root for them, no matter who it is or where they’re from. Saint Peter’s was the undisputed Cinderella standout at the 2022 Big Dance. Entering the event at 19-11 after winning the MAAC tournament title, the Peacocks, from Jersey City, N.J., beat No. 2 seed Kentucky, seventh-seeded Murray State, and No. 3 Purdue to become the first No. 15 seed to reach the Elite Eight. Even though a 20-point loss to North Carolina in the regional finals ended that magical run, Saint Peter’s etched its place in tournament history.

Only four players in Major League Baseball history have hit 700 or more home runs. Albert Pujols is one of them. Back with the St. Louis Cardinals for his 22nd and final MLB season in ’22, Pujols made quite the grand exit. He clubbed 24 homers (finishing with 703 total) and batted .270 over 109 games for the NL Central Division champs. His second home run during an 11-0 rout of the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sept. 23 was magic number 700 — and a fitting way for one of the all-time great and most-respected players to go out.

It still seems strange that the 2022-23 college basketball season began without Mike Krzyzewski on the Duke sidelines. College hoops’ all-time winning coach with 1,202 victories spanning 47 seasons, Coach K was a legend long before his retirement. An inspiration to many, Krzyzewski nearly claimed national championship No. 6 during his 2021-22 farewell tour. The Blue Devils caught fire in the NCAA Tournament and reached the Final Four, where, in storybook fashion, they faced archrival North Carolina on April 2. Duke led by three at halftime, but the Tar Heels ruined the party with an 81-77 victory that ended one of the greatest coaching tenures in all of sports.

To the casual sports fan, the name Elana Meyers Taylor might not be a familiar one. However, when it comes to trailblazing and important athletes in American sports history, she’s rather prominent. A multi-sport athlete, who has overcome injury, racism, and simply being a competitive woman in a sports world essentially run by men, Meyers Taylor also happens to be the United States’ most decorated black Winter Olympian. At age 37, Meyers Taylor overcame a bout with COVID-19 to claim a silver medal in the monobob and bronze in the two-woman bobsled at the 2022 Games in Beijing, upping her career medal total to five.

When the San Francisco 49ers picked Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy with the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, otherwise known as selection No. 262 or “Mr. Irrelevant,” they didn’t expect him to be any real factor this season. But, starter Tray Lance suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2, and veteran Jimmy Garoppolo injured his foot in Week 13. Enter Purdy, who had thrown nine NFL passes prior to coming in against Miami after Jimmy G went down. All Purdy did was go 25-of-37 for 210 yards with two touchdowns during the 33-17 rout of the Dolphins. Purdy then followed by going 20-of-56 for 402 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions to help the Niners beat Tampa Bay and Seattle to clinch the NFC West. 

There are many lasting memories — good and bad — from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. However, the tournament’s true feel-good moment comes courtesy of Morocco. Making back-to-back World Cup appearances, the Moroccans weren’t just happy to be in Qatar. Instead, it made history by becoming the first African nation to reach the semifinals of any World Cup. It got there by upsetting Belgium and Canada and drawing Croatia, to win Group F. The upsets continued by taking down mighty Spain in the knockout round and winning 1-0 over Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal in the quarterfinals. While fun ended with a 2-0 loss to France in the semis and followed with a 2-1 defeat versus Croatia in the rematch for third place, Morocco’s performance won’t soon be forgotten.

There were a number of legendary athletes who retired from the games they love in 2022. However, when it comes to truly inspirational figures, Sue Bird might be tough to top. One of the greatest female athletic role models in the history of any sport, Bird, who turned 42 in October, completed her 19th and final WNBA season — all with the Seattle Storm — in 2022. A four-time league champion, Bird went out in style, averaging 10.2 points and 7.7 assists in the postseason, and made her 13th All-Star appearance. Just how much is she beloved? While about to inbound the ball during her final regular season home game, a young girl gave Bird a flower as a sign of appreciation.

On June 21, 2021, Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsed, due to cardiac arrest, during a European Championship match. The Danish star’s heart actually stopped, but CPR was admitted, and he survived. Eventually implanted with a cardioverter-defibrillator, Eriksen was determined to return to the pitch. On Feb. 26 of this year, he finally did, while coming on as a sub during Brentford’s English Premier League contest versus Newcastle United. Eriksen returned to international action one month later when he registered a goal during Denmark’s 4-2 loss to the Netherlands.

Just getting to the 2022 Winter Paralympic Games in Beijing was an accomplishment for the Ukrainian national team. Plagued by Russia’s late February invasion of Ukraine, its athletes managed to leave for China safely, then made the most of their opportunity at the competition. Led by vision-impaired biathletes Oksana Shyshkova (winning three gold and two silver medals) and Vitaliy Lukyanenko (two golds, one silver), the Ukrainians totaled 29 medals, including 11 gold, second only to host China’s 63. With those back home fighting for their existence as motivation and inspiration, the performance of the Ukrainian Paralympians was truly remarkable.

Brittney Griner’s return home in early December after being arrested on cannabis charges in mid-February, then jailed and held in a Russian penal colony, was perhaps the biggest sports story of the year that didn’t involve any athletic performance. According to various reports, the support she received from her WNBA family, and other powerful sports figures like Stephen Curry, made her exile a little more tolerable. AT just about every turn during the 2022 season, the WNBA was bringing attention to Griner’s situation — most notably during July’s All-Star weekend in Chicago. It can be argued that collective voice proved integral in the eventual deal that brought Griner home, proving the power this league seems to have beyond the basketball court.

The fact Brian Robinson is playing football for the Washington Commanders seems like a miracle. A third-round pick out of Alabama this year, Robinson was shot in the lower extremities during an attempted robbery outside a Washington, D.C. restaurant in late August. The running back sustained non-life-threatening injuries but did undergo surgery. After missing the first four games of the 2022 season, Robinson remarkably made his NFL debut on Oct. 9. And not only has Robinson been able to perform, he’s done so at a rather high level, leading the Commanders with 652 rushing yards through Week 15.

Just shy of her 41st birthday and retirement looming, Williams made one last run that had sports fans wondering if there was one more special moment left to be achieved. Another legendary female role model, it would have been a true Hollywood ending had Williams managed to make a significantly deep run at this year’s U.S. Open. However, the fact the unseeded Williams upset No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit proved to be one of the great sports moments of 2022. According to ESPN, what turned out to be Williams’ final tennis match against Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round of the Open in early September, drew a peak viewership of nearly seven million.