WhiteWolves64
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Have you heard or knew about Kitty O'Neil being of deaf stuntwoman in the past?
I have met her in real person back in 1977 or 1978 which i cannot remember exact year. Anyway, she visited our school (Berrien Springs Middle School in Berrien Springs, MI) to tell us about her being deafness and stuntwoman. I did give her my purple stuffed dog that i won from the candy sales for school. And here's the story about her.
http://www.landspeed.com/updates/December/oneil.html
December 30, 2007
Ladies & Gentlemen:
While there have been many a notable land speed racers of the male type, there have been rather few of the female type over the past several decades. This article features one of those rare female record holders; Kitty O'Neil.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Retiree leaves stunt life for S.D.
Deafness may have been asset, she says
RUSS KEEN
Aberdeen American News
April 4, 2005
EUREKA - Kitty O'Neil has jumped from a 12-story building and from a helicopter 15 stories above ground without parachutes, landing on air bags or in water.
She holds the women's record for fastest travel on land: 618 mph in a 48,000-horsepower rocket car.
"It was a beautiful experience," said the Texas native, who is enjoying retirement in Eureka. At that speed, the world flew by like a series of beautiful, undulating waves, she said. But as for those G-forces: "Ouch," she said.
She held her breath for three minutes inside a stunt suit and 50-pound helmet as the outsides were engulfed in flames. Her name is in the Guinness Book of World Records for several accomplishments as a Hollywood stuntwoman. She has been featured in Time and other magazines.
But O'Neil, 59 and now retired, said she never enjoyed the attention. "I don't like to brag. I am a very private person," she said at her home overlooking Lake Eureka. "I love the peace here."
O'Neil said her career was born partly because more conventional employers didn't want to hire her because she is deaf. She lost her hearing at 4 months, when she contracted measles, mumps and smallpox simultaneously.
She decided she would get even with those who spurned her by excelling in a sport or adventure, she said. She also took up driving motorcycles, which fed her appetite for daring feats.
She no longer gives interviews to national media and no longer attempts feats of daring. O'Neil said her favorite activities these days are flower gardening, cooking for parties and having fun with the computer she and her longtime companion, Raymond Wald, got about two weeks ago.
She and Wald met in 1989 in Elk River, Minn., and moved to Eureka in 1993. Wald grew up in the Eureka area.
Lovers of action flicks saw O'Neil in "Smokey and the Bandit"; she drove the lead car that jumped over all the trucks. Other movies and TV shows in which she's appeared include "Police Woman," "Wonder Woman," "Baretta," "B.J. and the Bear," "Bionic Woman," "Blues Brothers," Airport '77," "Foul Play" and "Cliffhangers."
She also performed stunts for the made-for-television movie about her life, "Silent Victory: The Kitty O'Neil Story." When the film aired, she was surprised to find about half of it inaccurate, she said.
Deafness may have been an asset, O'Neil said, because it allowed her to concentrate without distraction from the loud noises that often accompany stunts. She suffered no serious injuries during her stunt career except that one of her fingers is bent.
The daring deeds never frightened her, O'Neil said, although she retired in 1982, in part, because some close friends had been killed while performing stunts.
The vehicle Kitty O'Neil drove.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The RD LIVING section of the October issue of Reader's Digest goes pink this month in support of BREAST CANCER awareness and research, with groundbreaking tests and treatments, essays and advice, plus cool new pink-ribbon products so you can shop for the cause.
Diver, Stunt Woman Kitty O'Neil volunteered her time and image to help promote their efforts. A dependable friend, Kitty has not suffered with the disease but has assisted relatives and many friends who have been afflicted.
Kitty asks that you learn more about this debilitating threat, follow the advice of the American Cancer Society, go in for screenings, get a mammogram....every year for those over forty... and be a friend to those who need help.
We invite you to add a comment, or remark, about our program or the site.
[Privacy Policy] | [Print Version]
Interested in helping us make history and bring the record back to North America? Here's how!
THIS SITE DOES NOT USE "COOKIES".
THIS SITE MAINTAINED
BY JONDOLAR ENTERPRISES.
FOR SITE ISSUES, CONTACT THE WEBMASTER.
Copyright 1996 - 2008 E&D Services, North American Eagle, Inc. All rights reserved.
I have met her in real person back in 1977 or 1978 which i cannot remember exact year. Anyway, she visited our school (Berrien Springs Middle School in Berrien Springs, MI) to tell us about her being deafness and stuntwoman. I did give her my purple stuffed dog that i won from the candy sales for school. And here's the story about her.
http://www.landspeed.com/updates/December/oneil.html
December 30, 2007
Ladies & Gentlemen:
While there have been many a notable land speed racers of the male type, there have been rather few of the female type over the past several decades. This article features one of those rare female record holders; Kitty O'Neil.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Retiree leaves stunt life for S.D.
Deafness may have been asset, she says
RUSS KEEN
Aberdeen American News
April 4, 2005
EUREKA - Kitty O'Neil has jumped from a 12-story building and from a helicopter 15 stories above ground without parachutes, landing on air bags or in water.
She holds the women's record for fastest travel on land: 618 mph in a 48,000-horsepower rocket car.
"It was a beautiful experience," said the Texas native, who is enjoying retirement in Eureka. At that speed, the world flew by like a series of beautiful, undulating waves, she said. But as for those G-forces: "Ouch," she said.
She held her breath for three minutes inside a stunt suit and 50-pound helmet as the outsides were engulfed in flames. Her name is in the Guinness Book of World Records for several accomplishments as a Hollywood stuntwoman. She has been featured in Time and other magazines.
But O'Neil, 59 and now retired, said she never enjoyed the attention. "I don't like to brag. I am a very private person," she said at her home overlooking Lake Eureka. "I love the peace here."
O'Neil said her career was born partly because more conventional employers didn't want to hire her because she is deaf. She lost her hearing at 4 months, when she contracted measles, mumps and smallpox simultaneously.
She decided she would get even with those who spurned her by excelling in a sport or adventure, she said. She also took up driving motorcycles, which fed her appetite for daring feats.
She no longer gives interviews to national media and no longer attempts feats of daring. O'Neil said her favorite activities these days are flower gardening, cooking for parties and having fun with the computer she and her longtime companion, Raymond Wald, got about two weeks ago.
She and Wald met in 1989 in Elk River, Minn., and moved to Eureka in 1993. Wald grew up in the Eureka area.
Lovers of action flicks saw O'Neil in "Smokey and the Bandit"; she drove the lead car that jumped over all the trucks. Other movies and TV shows in which she's appeared include "Police Woman," "Wonder Woman," "Baretta," "B.J. and the Bear," "Bionic Woman," "Blues Brothers," Airport '77," "Foul Play" and "Cliffhangers."
She also performed stunts for the made-for-television movie about her life, "Silent Victory: The Kitty O'Neil Story." When the film aired, she was surprised to find about half of it inaccurate, she said.
Deafness may have been an asset, O'Neil said, because it allowed her to concentrate without distraction from the loud noises that often accompany stunts. She suffered no serious injuries during her stunt career except that one of her fingers is bent.
The daring deeds never frightened her, O'Neil said, although she retired in 1982, in part, because some close friends had been killed while performing stunts.
The vehicle Kitty O'Neil drove.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The RD LIVING section of the October issue of Reader's Digest goes pink this month in support of BREAST CANCER awareness and research, with groundbreaking tests and treatments, essays and advice, plus cool new pink-ribbon products so you can shop for the cause.
Diver, Stunt Woman Kitty O'Neil volunteered her time and image to help promote their efforts. A dependable friend, Kitty has not suffered with the disease but has assisted relatives and many friends who have been afflicted.
Kitty asks that you learn more about this debilitating threat, follow the advice of the American Cancer Society, go in for screenings, get a mammogram....every year for those over forty... and be a friend to those who need help.
We invite you to add a comment, or remark, about our program or the site.
[Privacy Policy] | [Print Version]
Interested in helping us make history and bring the record back to North America? Here's how!
THIS SITE DOES NOT USE "COOKIES".
THIS SITE MAINTAINED
BY JONDOLAR ENTERPRISES.
FOR SITE ISSUES, CONTACT THE WEBMASTER.
Copyright 1996 - 2008 E&D Services, North American Eagle, Inc. All rights reserved.