Kitty O'Neil (1946-2018) was an American stuntwoman and speed racer who set multiple land and water speed records. She was born in Corpus Christi, Texas and was deaf since she was five months old due to an illness.
O'Neil began her career as a stuntwoman in the early 1970s and worked on various television shows and movies, including "The Bionic Woman" and "Smokey and the Bandit II". She was also a renowned speed racer and set the land speed record for women in 1976, reaching a speed of 512 miles per hour in a rocket-powered car. She also set a water speed record in 1977, piloting a boat at 275 miles per hour.
Throughout her career, O'Neil faced numerous challenges due to her deafness and gender discrimination, but she persevered and became a pioneer in her field. She passed away in 2018 at the age of 72.
