Deaf Heroes: Kitty O'Neil

Signed by Pat Bernstein Kitty O'Neil is one cool woman. In the late 1970′s, she may have been the most famous stunt person, male or female, on the planet, despite being deaf since childhood due to having smallpox, measles, and the mumps. She played Wonder Woman from time to time, even one time taking a leap of 127 feet, which was stunt record at that time for both men and women. She was also a skilled driver, and was the driver of the Bandit in "Smokey and the Bandit II." Perhaps her greatest claim to fame was setting the female land speed record on December 6, 1976 when she drove the Motivator, a rocket-powered dragster 512 miles per her. Today, 36 years later, her record still stands.