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Google Doodle celebrated the 77th birth anniversary of Kitty O'Neil. She was an iconic stuntwoman from the United States. However, the super-fast vehicle driver and daredevil became deaf in childhood due to multiple illnesses. Meeya Tijang, a Washington DC-based guest artist, illustrated her google doodle on her 77th birth anniversary on Friday, March 24. Kitty O'Neil once held the title of the fastest woman in the world. She never looked at her deafness as a hindrance, but she referred to it as an 'asset.' Moreover, she was the first woman to join Stunts Unlimited, an organisation for Hollywood's most prominent stunt performers. 

Here's everything you need to know about March 24's Google doodle star, Kitty O'Neil and her inspiring life. 

Kitty O'Neil: Deaf Stuntwoman & Daredevil

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Kitty O'Neil was born on March 24, 1946. Her mother was a Cherokee Native American, and her father was Irish. Her birthplace is Corpus Christi, Texas. 

When Kitty O'Neil was a few months old, she contracted multiple diseases, which caused an intense fever leaving her deaf permanently. However, she never saw her deafness as an obstacle in her dreams. 

Kitty O'Neil was fluent in several modes of communication and adapted for different audiences throughout her life. Later, she preferred speaking and lip reading. 

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O'Neil was fond of diving, but she could not pursue it due to a wrist injury. However, Kitty never gave up on her dream to become a professional athlete. She experimented with high-speed sports like water skiing and motorcycle racing. 

Kitty O'Neil Career

Kitty O'Neil performed difficult stunts, like falling from heights while being 'on fire' or jumping from helicopters. She made it to the big screen as a stunt double for films and TV series in the late 70s. Kitty was in The Bionic Woman, Wonder Woman and The Blue Brothers. Furthermore, she received the title 'fastest woman alive' after she zoomed across the Alvord Desert at 512.76 miles per hour. Kitty O'Neil broke the record by almost 200 mph in her rocket-powered vehicle. 

It was evident that she could break the men's record too. However, the sponsors did not allow her to break the overall one, saying it was not apt for her status. But the real reason was they wanted to reserve it for a male driver.

Her biopic Silent Victory: The Kitty O'Neil Story got released in 1979. It reviews the impressive Alvord Desert feat. Kitty O'Neil passed away in 2018 at the age of 72 due to pneumonia. In 2019, the Academy honoured her with the Oscars in Memoriam award. 

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