Jeff Bezos has been in the news for quite some time now for his space flight. But there is a woman who accompanied him, Wally Funk. She was one of Jeff Bezos’ three co-passengers, and is also the oldest person to have reached space today. 

The Guardian
Nytimes

Wally Funk was one of the Mercury 13 group of women trained to become NASA astronauts in the 1960s. And, let me tell you, that training was no cakewalk. But unfortunately, she never got to seize that opportunity because of her gender. 

They told me that I had done better and completed the work faster than any of the guys, ….So I got hold of NASA four times. I said I want to become an astronaut, but nobody would take me. I didn’t think that I would ever get to go up.

-Wally Funk

Not only this, but she was the first female inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration and the first female air safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board. The 82-year-old has taught around 3,000 people to fly. 

The Hindu

The first American woman, Sally Ride, flew to space in 1983.  And, the first American woman to pilot a spaceship did so in 1995. So you can imagine what a great moment it truly was for Wally Funk to be aboard the Blue Origin flight. 

Here’s how the world is praising her.

These are the kind of role models we need for young women everywhere.