The Qualities of a Champion
Tonight Venus Williams will compete in the Semi-Finals of the U.S. Open. We wish her well. She reached the finals in the Australian Open and Wimbledon and the fourth round in the French Open and this is the last of this year’s Grand Slam tournaments.
After her win on Sunday, Venus was interviewed and asked about her longevity. She won the U.S. Open in 2001 and 2002, and at age 37 will be the oldest woman to reach the U.S. Open Semi-Finals in recent memory. Her response provided a checklist of what it takes to be a champion, which she certainly is regardless of the outcome of this year’s Open. Here is some of what she shared with us.
- Good health
- Fitness
- Skill
- Talent
- Practice and coaching
- Desire
- Compassion for and love of the game
- Her motivation generated because of the fans that are behind her
- The energy the fans create at home [Arthur Ashe Stadium] for her
- Dealing with the pressure and making it work for her
- Luck
- Strong support of her sister and family
- Being focused and doing the best she can
- Take advantage of opportunities. “No one ever gives you a slam – you have to take it!”
I might add being gracious and charming to that list.
It looks like we will have an all American final, so good luck to all of the competitors, but regardless of the outcome, Venus is a Champion in any sense of its meaning.
How Can We Help?
