Wally Funk is headed to space! Back in 1961, she was part of the secret Mercury 13 project that tested a small group of women for fitness for space travel. Despite passing rigorous physical and medical tests, isolation tests, and more, the project (a private venture, not an official NASA one) was put on hold. When funding was cut, they were summarily dismissed. They did not all go gently, but their protests did nothing to change the outcome of the group. My, how times haven’t changed.
Mary Wallace “Wally” Funk is an aviation pioneer who has never given up on her dream of going to space. When Sir Richard Branson announced his space tourism company, Virgin Galactic, more than a decade ago. Wally bought a ticket at no small price. She knew she wouldn’t be the first woman in space, but she’d get to achieve her lifelong dream. Talk about persistence!
Apparently, drive and persistence are two traits Wally has to the max. The team at Virgin Galactic knows her by name (and voice) because even though they hold events and post updates to their ticket holders, she often inquires about their progress. Granted, time is running out for her.
Sir Richard Branson is expected to go up in his spaceplane {checks clock} any minute now. But Wally was invited up by Jeff Bezos and his space tourist venture, Blue Origin. (Oh, those billionaires. Always trying to one-up each other.)
This is truly epic news. Wally has literally been waiting since 1961 for this opportunity. And by waiting, I don’t mean she just sat back and hoped or prayed. She continued to build her aviation skills, taught hundreds (thousands?) of people to fly, and had an illustrious career that included breaking a few glass ceilings for women. She enjoyed speaking about her Mercury 13 experience and shared her dream with whoever would listen.
Speaking of which, Bezos might be in for a surprise. Wally is an extremely chatty and inquisitive extrovert with, at times, a lack of self-control. They’ll either be besties when this is over or they’ll never appear together in the same room. Either way, Wally wins because she’s going to space!
If the Virgin folks don’t allow her to skip the line, it will be, at best months, or more likely years before Wally’s space number is up.
In other exciting news, I also am on the cusp of achieving a long-held dream- I have a book coming out soon! I wrote a graphic novel for elementary school kids about Amelia Earhart for Sunbird Books, an imprint of Phoenix International Publications, Inc. {update: my book is available now!}It’s part of their “It’s HER Story” line, which includes books on Rosa Parks, Shirley Chisholm, and other notable women. Some of the line is already out. My book (my book!) should be available and in stores in time for Women’s History Month 2022. I’ll keep you posted.
