The following women did not attend The Sarah Connor Charm School, however, the school has conveyed up on them Honorary Degrees due to the bravery, skill and resourcefulness they showed in the face of confrontation. They are inspirational strong women!
Posthumous Honorees | Civilians Turned Warrior *NEW* | Organized Groups | Professional Warriors | Warrior Athletes *NEW*
Historic Honorees
Lyudmila Pavlichenko Is Deadliest Female Sniper Having Killed at Least 309 Nazis
Marion Pritchard Helped Jews Escape the Holocaust
Doris Bohrer Was a WW II Spy with the OSS, the Agency that Later Became the CIA
Virginia Hall, the Woman the Nazis Called “the Most Dangerous of All Allied Spies”
Gertrude Ederle Was the First Woman to Swim the English Channel in 1926
Miss Cora Strayer, Private Detective and Colonel in a Women’s Calvary Regiment During the Border War
Former Slave Who Became a Pioneer “Stagecoach Mary” Fields
The “Night Witches” of the Russian 558th Night Bomber Regiment
“Miss Sanderson” Taught the “Womanly Art” of Parasol Self-defense in the Early 1900s
Switchboard Operator Theresa “Tessie” McNamara Saved 1,400 Munitions Workers during WWI
Irena Sendler Smuggled Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto, protected them when tortured
WWII Heroine Nancy “The White Mouse” Wake
Posthumous Honorees
Lori Kaye Died Protecting Rabbi From Synagogue Shooter
Husne Ara Parvin Died Rushing to the Men’s Mosque to Save Her Disabled Husband From Shooter
Philosopher Anne Dufourmantelle, “Life Begins With Risk,” Drowned Attempting to Save Children
Candy Arthurs Was Murdered Saving Her Grandchildren from a Pedophile
Principal Susan Jordan was Killed Saving Students from a Runaway Bus
Brenda Lee Marquez McCool Died Saving Her Son from the Pulse Nightclub Shooter
Activist Sandra Bland Died While Held in Jail After Arrest During Traffic Stop
Sabeen Mahmud Kept Speaking Out About Disappearances Despite Death Threats, Was Shot and Killed
Firefighter Joyce Craig-Lewis Gave Her Life To Try to Save Elderly Resident
Tugce Albayrak Was Murdered by One of the Men She Confronted for Harassing Teenage Girls
Reyhaneh Jabbari Was Executed by Iran After She Defended Herself from a Rapist Who was Killed
Crew Member Park Jee Young Died Saving Passengers from Sinking Sewol Ferry
The Teachers and Staff of Sandy HookWhile we may never know the exact details, while people might debate the veracity of some of the stories, we may never know how many more young lives might have been lost, we know that these women, charged with the care of so many youngsters, did what they could to protect these young lives. They should be remembered. We do not know the name of all the women who survived and who are also heroes, but these six women gave their lives: Dawn Hochsprung Mary Sherlach Vicki Leigh Soto Rachel Davino Anne Marie Murphy Lauren Rousseau
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Civilians Turned Warriors
Powerlifter Willie Murphy Beat the Crap Out of Intruder with Weapons of Expedience (Murphy had previously been awarded our Athletic Honorary Degree)
Tammy Stevens was Out Riding With Her Dogs When She Learned of a Lost Toddler and Went Out and Found the Child (go to Max’s First Line of Defense for dogs Wilson’s and Maddie’s and horse Bo’s listings)
Mary Wareham Really is Spearheading a Fight Against Killer Robots
Sondra Pierson Confronted Neo-Nazi Couple Mocking Holocaust Memorial
Clarese Gainey Stopped a Burglar With Her Baseball Bat Upside his Head
Candice Payne Rented 20 Hotel Rooms for Homeless During Polar Vortex
After Fighting Off a Rapist, Runner Kelly Herron Became a Self-Defense Advocate
Pam Bales Rescued a Man on Mt. Washington from More than Hypothermia
MMA Fighter Polyana Viana Beat Up and Apprehended Would-be Mugger
Ellen Gerhart was Sentenced to 2-6 Months, Served 2, for Fighting Pipeline
Nurse Alex Wubbels Protected Her Unconscious Patient from Officer Demanding Blood Sample
Maya Little Protested a Confederate Statue, Leading to Other Protesters Later Toppling It
Jacqueline Dixon Shot and Killed Her Estranged Husband in Self-Defense
Heather Zabrowski Rushed to Burning Car to Rescue Incapacitated Driver
Waitress Warrior Emelia Holden Slammed Man Who Groped Her While She Worked
Mom Shot and Wounded Carjacker Who Tried to Drive Off with Her Children in Back
Therese Patricia Okoumou Climbed the Base of the Statue of Liberty to Protest Immigration Policy
Mother Shot Man Who Traveled From NZ to US to Target Her Daughter
Tiana Smalls Shutdown Illegal ICE Search on Bus

Ieshia Evans Stood Up to Riot Police to Protest Police Violence
Dede Phillips Strangled Rabid Bobcat That Attacked Her While Her Granddaughter Slept Nearby
Siwatu-Salama Ra Used Legal Gun to Defend Her Mother, Daughter and Self Was Convicted and Sentenced to Two Years While Pregnant (How you can help)
Joanne Stammer Took Over Holding Man Attempting to Jump From Bridge (see also John Connor Award recipients Devonte Cafferkey, Sammy Farah and Shawn Young)
Tess Asplund Faced Down 300 Marching Neo-Nazis with Fist Raised
Unnamed 65 Year-Old Woman Shot and Wounded Would Be Robber
Grandmothers in Kenya Learn Martial Arts to Fight Rapists
The Women of Standing Rock Lead the Movement to Protect Water
Crossing Guard Adrian Young Saved Girl from Kidnapper
Bus Driver Reneita Smith Saved 20 Children From Burning Bus
Iraqi Grandmother Killed Daesh Fighters and Cooked their Heads to Avenge Her Family
Iraqi Woman Killed Senior Daesh Commander Who had Forced Her into Sex Slavery
73 year-old Meenakshi Amma Teaches Marital Arts and Self Defense
Demi Frandsen Donated 131 Gallons of Breast Milk to Help At Risk Infants After Losing Her Own Baby
Shetamia Taylor Took a Bullet to Her Leg While Shielding Sons from Dallas Shooter
Mom Saved Son from Mountain Lion
Mom Kicked the Butt of Kidnapper Who Grabbed Her Daughter
Three Women Stepped In and Stopped a Rape After Seeing a Man Drug His Date’s Drink
80 Year-old Barb Moles Shot and Killed the Intruder Who Had Beat and Stabbed her Husband
Melanie Armstrong Fought Off An Armed Robber Who Attacked Her in Her Tack Shop
Tiana Carruthers Was Shot Three Times Getting Children Away From Gunman
An Escort Fought Off and Escaped Her Attacker Who Told Her “Tonight is the night you’re gonna die”
Sandra Ferguson Stopped the Kidnapping of an 11 year-old Girl
Tina Manns Risked Her Life Helping Rural Domestic Violence Victims for Nearly a Quarter Century
Waitress Pulled Customer From Car Just Before It Burst Into Flames
Nurse and Roller Derby Player Ida B. ChoAzz (Heidi Muat) Chased Down Purse Snatcher
Woman Killed Her Attacker in Self-Defense and May Have Taken Out a Serial Killer
Ana Dean Hunted Down and Then Blocked In Her Late Husband’s Stolen Truck Until Police Arrived
92 year-old Violet Palmer Was Jailed for Protesting Fracking
Dawn Simmonds Dove into Pond to Save Her Dog, Star, from a Raccoon
Allison McGee Rescued Girl Caught in Undertow
Ms. Dee Sent Armed Intruders Running Even After Being Shot in Her Leg
Chasity Spence Tore Down A Wall to Rescue Children from Burning Shed
92 year-old Eileen Mason Saved Her Friend from a Mugger by Hitting Him with Her Mobility Scooter
Pradnya Mandhare Dragged Her Attacker by His Hair into Police Station
Mom Restrained Her 12 year- old Daughter’s Rapist Until Police Arrived
Wang Yanfang and Four Other Elderly Women Take Care of Over 1,000 Stray Dogs in China
Mom Defended Her Daughter from School Officials Intending to Punish the Girl for Defending Herself from Sexual Assault by Male Student (see daughter in John Connor Award
Unknown Saudi Woman Stood Up to Religious Police Who Accosted in Her in a Mall
Hannah Turner Ran Back into Burning Building to Save Her Son
Museum Receptionist Sharon Wise Stopped Man from Abducting Child
Teacher Kristina Buhrman Saved 38 Children from Burning Bus
Zoe Quinn, Anita Sarkeesian, Brianna Wu, Felicia Day, Alanah Pearce Have Faced Down Internet GamerGate Bullies “Doxing” and Threatening Sexual Violence and Death for Speaking Out Against Misogyny In Gaming
Brittany Owens Saved an Injured Dog from Man Planning to Suffocate It Then Adopted the Dog
Woman Shot Her Stalker When He Broke Down Her Door (Her own words) (one of the news stories)
“Dudu” Saved Her Sisters and Herself After Being Kidnapped by the Daesh
Sarah Marquis – Walked 10,000 Miles in 3 Years, a Chapter in a Life of Adventure
Angela Radtke Broke Into Hot Car to Save a Baby While Others Stood Around Telling Her She’d be Arrested (she wasn’t)
Patti Kearney Used Back Scratcher and Wrench to Chase Out Intruder “BAM!”
Angela Martin Shot and Killed a Man Stabbing Her
Judy Camp was Arrested and Risked Prison for Rescuing a Dog (she was later acquitted of pet theft and fined for obstruction)
Alicia Cappola Drove an Intruder Away with a Knife During a 911 Outage
Mindy Tran Used Her Body to Stop Car Rolling Away with Daughters
Detroit Mom Opened Fire on Three Home Invaders
Carla Stopped Home Invasion with Shotgun
Aiya Van Kooten Went Into “Predator Mode” and Chased Down Burglars
Jewelyes Gutierrez was Targeted for Punishment for Defending Herself from Transphobic Bullies
Dunkin’ Donuts Stops Robbery Wigh Hot Coffee
Opal Phelps, 92, Kicked Home Intruder in Face (the SCCS would like to remind everyone, that while we admire her fortitude, secure your guns if you are not using them!)
Woman Shot an Killed Intruder After He Sexually Assaulted Her
Bus Driver Risked Life Evacuating Bus And Driving to Less Populated Area With Bomb
Gas Station Clerk December Long Shot and Killed Robber Who Shot Her in the Abdomen
Robyn Irvine, Former Competitor, Chased Out Burglar with One of Her Throwing Axes
Andi Davis Found a Shot Pit Bull While Hiking, Carried the 47 lb. Dog Out to Get Care, Adopted Him
Kari Bird Pulled Gun to Fend Off Armed Carjackers
Susan Kuhnhausen Fought Off and Killed the Hitman Her Husband Hired to Kill Her
Antoinette Tuff Talked Down Armed Man Preventing an Intended School Shooting and Suicide-by-cop
Cabin Manager Lee Yoon-hye and the Other Asiana Flight 214 Flight Attendants are Heroes
Sarah Tatterson, Marathon Runner, Chased Down a Bike Thief
Haley B. Elkins’ Mom Helped Women Escape Abuse and Taught Her Daugter to Live Bravely
Jan Cooper, 72, Shot At and Chased Off an Intruder to Defend Her Husband and Herself
We will never know all the names of all the heroes who ran to help, some even while themselves hurt, after the Boston Marathon explosions, so we’ll let this story of Amanda North who saved Erika Brannock represent the heroism so many showed on that day. |
Shirley Roberts Shot One of Three Robbers Trying to Break Into Her Home
Grandma Thwarted Kidnap Attempt at Car Park
Kainat Soomro Was 13 When She First Stood Up Against Her Rapists, But Her and Her Family’s Fight Continues
Ann Curtis Confronted Thieves then Locked Them in Yard
Leah Peisner Beat Up Knife-wielding Attacker
Woman Shot Knife-Wielding Home Invader Who Attacked Her
Melissa Torrez Chased Down the Man who Kidnapped Her 4 year-old Daughter
High School Senior Katelyn Campbell Stood Up to Misogynist Principal’s Threats
Alexandria Goddard “Complicated” the Steubenville Rape Case and Stood Up for Jane Doe
Juliane Koepcke, Sole Survivor of a Plane Crash, Survived the Peruvian Rainforest Alone and Injured at 17
Women Brandish Knives to Protest Sexual Assault in Cairo
Ernestine Aldana Stops Robbery Attempt at Her Store
Teryl Parnell Found Napping Burglar, Held Him for Police with Machete
Rukhsana Kausar Killed Militant Leader with an Ax and his own AK47 to Save Self and Family
Kara Bilzerian Beat Up Intruder Who Strangled and Clubbed Her
Mother Shoots Intruder to Defend Herself and Her Children
Mary Evans Soaked Herself in Water to Enter Burning Building to Save Three Children
Meghan Conley Fought Off Attacker and Advocates for Self-Defense
Argentine Mom, Susana Trimarco, Rescues Hundreds of Sex Slaves
Dallas Woman Shoots at Two Intruders, Kills One
14 year-old Pakistani Malala Yousafzai Shot by Taliban Members for Speaking Out for Girls’ Education
“Badly covered” Iranian Woman Beats Berating Cleric
Rain Dove Saves Couple Attacked by Mob While Others Stood-by
Pregnant Turkish Woman Shoots and Decapitates Rapist
Antoinette Robinson Hits Abductor With 2×4 to Rescue Daughter
Ruby Hodge, 89, Pulls Gun on Burglars
California Jewelry Store Owner Fires Back at Armed Robbers
Lauren Kornacki Lifts BMW, Performs CPR To Save Father’s Life
Otilia Martins, 80, Fought Off Armed Robbers with Fruit
Woman Whose Husband Placed Ad to Have Her Raped Defended Herself with a Handgun
Jackie Simonson, 75, Fought Off Two Cougars to Save Her Dog
Beatriz Jimenez Chases Driver After Tragic Hit And Run Accident
Martial Artist Priscilla Dang Defended Herself from Two Teenagers
Zarifa Qazizadah, Mother Of 15, Becomes Afghanistan’s First Female Village Chief
Karen Curran Defended Her Dog From Mama Bear With Toy Sword
Marissa Alexander Fired a warning shot at abuser attacking her and was sentenced to 20 years
90 year-old Venus Green locks abusive cop in cellar
15 year-old Madison Wallraf Saved 25 Horses from Burning Barn
Victoria Jones Beats Intruder with Bedpost to Defend Children and Self
Dorothea Taylor, 85, Use Shovel to Save Her Husband from Moose
Sarah McKinley, 18, Shoots Intruder to Defend Infant Son and Self
Suzan Merrit Saves Her Dog from Bear
Shyane DeJesus Beats-Up and Photographs Groper
Keenia Williams Saved Truck Driver from Flaming Wreck
Horse Warrior Erin Bolster and Tonk Take on Bear to Save Boy (see Max’s First Line of Defense Heroes)
Wrestling Sisters, Brittany and Brienna Delgado, Take Down Hit-And-Run Suspect
Brooke Collins Punches Bear to Save Her Dog
Holly Pullen Saves Daughter From Child Molester by Beating Him to a Pulp
Finnish married lesbian couple rescues 40 kids during Norway shooting rampage
Swedish woman beats up groper –goes free
Linda Carr grabs and holds burglar until police arrive
Woman bites off attacker’s tongue: ‘It was a substantial piece,’ officer says
Woman walks through market holding severed head of man who tried to rape her
Bangladesh woman cuts off attacker’s penis
Aussie woman, 89, Beats Up Bandit with Handbag
16 Year Old Karate Student Beats Attacker
Cancer Stricken Helen Dunsford Jumped Bank Robber
Elaina Young stopped a man who is charged with trying to abduct a young girl at a school bus stop
Justine Masika Bihamba “I will not be safe until all Congolese women are safe”
Iraqi Mothers Take Up Arms to Protect Families from Terrorism
Knife-wielding Mugger chased off by Sword-wielding dancer Zarmineh Moody
Kindra Arnesen champions those whose lives are in danger due to BP’s greed and lies – Video
Saudi Woman Beats up Virtue Cop
Five Husson University students save another from knife wielding attacker
Malalai Joya – The woman who will not be silenced
The Goretti Girls – Catholic School Girls Take on Pervert
Ninety-Five-Year-Old Woman Holds Off Burglar with Screwdriver
Seventy-year-old woman holds home intruder at gunpoint
Boxer Stops Thief Taking Her Electronics and Makes Him Pick Them Up
Woman kills man who returned to rape her second time
Utah Store Clerk Shoots Armed Robber with his own gun
Trinidad Woman Risks Life to Defend Leatherback Turtles
Organized Group Honorees – both civilian and professional
First All-Female Special Forces Unit, Norway’s Jegertroppen
“Campus Witches” Confront Sexual Harassment at Ankara University in Turkey
Former Daesh Sex-Slaves form the “Force of the Sun Ladies” to Fight their Former Captors
“Kung Fu Nuns of Kathmandu” Sprang into Action After Nepal Earthquake
The All Female Cultural Support Team, Including Staff Sgt. Kat Kaelin and 1st Lt. Caroline Cleveland, Operated Along Side Ranger Strike Forces in Afghanistan in 2011
Growing Number of Women’s Citizen Police Squads Deal with Violence in MexicoKurdish Female Soldiers are Taking on Islamic State (see posthumous honorees above)
Pussy Riot .Because…Where to Start and How Would We Fit It Here?
The Red BrigadeEmpowers Women Through Solidarity and Self-defense Training in Lucknow India
The Many Women Who Fight the Use of Child Brides as Barter or as Payment for Male Relatives Crimes
The Unnamed Congolese Women Who Chose to Guard the Doctor Who Helps Rape Victims
Gulabi Gang Protecting Women and Others From Abuse in Northern India
Virangana Force, special women’s police unit to fight street harassment in in Guwahat
Professional Warriors (law enforcement officers, fire fighters, emts, soldiers)
Shaikha Aisha bint Rashid Al Khalifa Becomes First Female Bahraini Fighter Pilot
National Guard Medic SPC Semantha Bunce Exchanged Fire With and Was Wounded by Intruder
Off- Duty (and Sun Bathing) Swedish Police Officer, Mikaela Kellner, Tackled Thief in Park
Capt Katie Higgins Became First Female Blue Angel Pilot
Five Women were the First to Qualify for Army Ranger School – Three Others Followed – None Completed th Course (nor do most of the men), But Three Are Being Allowed to Try Again – Two, Capt. Kristen Griest and 1st Lt. Shaye Haver, Graduated!
Spc. Tinita Taylor, First Woman to Graduate Army’s Jungle Operations Training Course
The Three First Female Marine Infantry Graduates … 4th Woman Was Injured, Returned and Graduated with 9 Other Women
Officer Vicki Thomas Choose to Help Desperate Mom Instead of Arresting Her for Shoplifting
Lt. Ashley Sorensen Broke the Women’s Record For a Mile in a 75 lb Bomb Suit
F-16 Pilot Lt. Heather “Lucky” Penney Was Ready For a Suicide Run on 911
Female Sailor Stopped Rape Attempt with a Leg Stranglehold in Dubai
All Female Virangana Force Fights Street Harassment and Assault in Guwahati, India
Police Sgt. Kimberly Munley Stopped the Massacre at Fort Hood link 2 link 3
Security Guard, former LEO, Jeanne Assam Stopped Church Shooter
Officer Stacy Lim Continues to Defend Herself Following “Fatal” Chest-shot APHF Officer of the Year ’92
Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester Earns Silver Star for Her Role in Defeating Ambush
Pfc. Monica Lin Brown Gains Silver Star — And Removal From Combat
Warrior Athletes (those who inspire us for their daring and power)
Kristina Schou Madsen Becomes First Woman to Win World Marathon Challenge Outright *NEW*
At 82 Years-Old, Arlene Advocate Has Taken Up Parkour *NEW*
Allyson Felix Broke Usain Bolt’s Record for Gold Metals 10 Months After Emergency C-Section
Ellie Pell Won the Green Lakes Endurance Run 50K, Leaving Organizers to Have to Make a Men’s Trophy
Annika Eilmann, Leigh Holland-Keen and Dr. Jan Todd Are, So Far, the Only Women to Lift the Dinnie Stones
Sadaf Khadem is the First Iranian Female Boxer
Joan Benoit Samuelson Ran Boston Marathon on the 40th Anniversary of Her 1979 Win
Tony Harris is First Woman to Receive Non-Kicker Football Scholarship
Simone Biles Becomes First Woman to Win 5 US All-Around Titles Update: Has Become the First Person to Land a Double-Double Dismount Update 2: The Next Day She Became First to Land Triple-Double in the Floor Exercise and the First Gymnast to Be the First to have Two Firsts in One Competition …and her Sixth Title
Rarámuri Woman Lorena Ramírez Wins Ultra Marathons Wearing Huaraches
Willie Murphy Keeps Powerlifting at 81
Ella Mae Colbert Broke the Record for 100 Meter Dash by a 100 Year-old
Hyvon Ngetich Refused Wheelchair and Crawled the Last 2/10ths of a Mile of a Marathon
99 year-old Ida Keeling Set 100 Meter Dash Record at Cleveland Gay Games
91 year-old Harriette Thompson Broke Marathon Record While Recovering from Cancer Treatment
Johanna Quaas, Octogenarian Gymnast
Erin DiMeglio, High School Quarterback
Sister Madonna Buder, 82, Oldest Woman to Finish an Ironman
77-Year-Old Edith Connor, Breaks Guinness World Record
Amber Miller gives birth after running Chicago Marathon
Woman of steel: Female knight making her mark in competitive jousting
Sensei Keiko Fukuda, First Woman to earn 10th degree black belt in Judo, at age 98
Pfc Jennifer Jones First Woman to Win Combatives Tournament
Olga Kotelko 91 year-old Track Star
UPDATE Sept 2. 2013! Diana Nyad MADE her swim from Cuba to Florida!
73 year-old Bodybuilder Ernestine Shepherd Shows Age is No Excuse – At 75 still going strong!
Know of an inspiring story about a woman or women fighting back? Please feel free to nominate her or them via The Sarah Connor Charm School on FaceBook
All photos on this page are linked to source sites