Adelia Kate Brainerd began writing “The Outdoor Woman” column in Harper’s Bazar magazine in 1894 when she was 21 years old and continued until her marriage in 1899. Her column marked a departure from the publication's usual focus on fashion and homemaking, introducing essays on sports and athletics to a female audience.

The 123 articles (140,000 words) in this volume of the Sports She Wrote series span a wide range of sports and outdoor activities.

Adelia's detailed descriptions of bicycling topics exploring the methods, machinery, attire, and touring possibilities awheel, encouraged many women to mount and master the two-wheeler when it was first introduced. Her coverage of prominent golf tournaments and players contributed to the burgeoning interest in women's golf during the late 19th century.

Adelia's writings encompassed an extensive list of sports, including archery, badminton, basketball, bowling, canoeing, cricket, equestrianism, ice hockey, ice skating, roller skating, swimming, tennis, rowing, fencing, physical fitness, and more. Her articles also featured the evolution of women's sports fashion and highlighted obscure activities like hand polo and Lang ball.

Through her pioneering contributions, Adelia Brainerd paved the way for women's involvement in sports journalism and expanded the coverage of women’s athletic pursuits in popular newspapers and magazines.

Sports She Wrote is a 31-volume time-capsule of primary documents written by more than 500 women in the 19th century.