SERENA WILLIAMS
Arguably the most influential and successful women in the world of sports. Serena Williams has been a trailblazer for female athletes ever since she was a young teenager. She dominated her respective sport of tennis, becoming one of the top players in the history of her sport. In 2019, she was named Female Athlete of The Decade. This title further exemplified Serena’s impact in the world of sports. However, her impact was not limited to the tennis court. Williams has never been one to keep her mouth shut and that has been evident throughout her career. Whether that be on the issues of racial inequality as reported by The Cut where she stated “But I realized we must stride on – for it’s not how far we have come but how much further still we have to go. I [then] wondered … have I spoken up? I had to take a look at me. What about my nephews? What if I have a son and what about my daughters? As Dr. Martin Luther King said ‘There comes a time when silence is betrayal.” Williams also spoke on the racial disparities that exist in pregnancy- related mortality in her op-ed published by CNN along with her difficult pregnancy. Williams’ ability to not only dominate her sport and strive to be the best, but also using her platform to bring awareness to the many issues going on in society, is why she along with many others view her as not only the best female athlete of all time and female athlete of the decade, but also one of the greatest pure athletes in history.
MAYA MOORE
Maya Moore’s impact in the world of sports is something that can not be overlooked. Just like Serena Williams, Moore dominated in her respective sport from a young age, from being a highly scouted basketball player in high school, to being a national champion in college, to being the first player chosen in the 2011 WNBA draft, to winning multiple championships and MVPs during her career. Moore has had the career and has achieved the accolades that many athletes regardless of gender dream of having. Despite all of this success, Moore shocked the sports world with her decision to leave the WNBA and use her platform to focus on the reforms of our country’s justice system. Her biggest achievement is helping free Jonathon Irons, a man who had wrongfully incarcerated for a crime he did not commit. Moore spoke on her decision to leave the WNBA in a L.A. Times article where she states “I really just wanted to shift my priorities to family and ministry,” she said. She added “I tried to keep my time [away] from the game pretty private, but Jonathan’s cause is something I’m very passionate about. It was something I’d been doing for years and I knew once I walked away from basketball, I would be able to invest more deeply in. There is so much more to life and things I want to prioritize.”
Serena Williams and Maya Moore are just two of the countless female athletes that have made a positive impact outside of their respective sports careers. They both continue to be innovators and show the world the importance of the role that women play in society. They are both great examples of how women can also have an impact and create change in this world.
