I’ve been watching quite a lot of tennis the past few weeks. Since it’s Wimbledon season, the internet is abuzz with news from the Championships. While browsing through the news feed of my Facebook account, I came across photos of Serena Williams, Ana Ivanovic Ана Ивановић, and Victoria Azarenka (Вікторыя Азаранка Виктория Азаренко) pledging their support for the Kick-It Foundation.
Williams (L) and Ivanovic (R). (Photos from Eloyse Tyson)
The Kick-It Foundation was started by a “10-year old cancer patient with a big dream- to cure cancer by playing kickball.” The foundation “raises money for pediatric, adolescent and young adult cancer research.”
I admire athletes like Williams, Ivanovic, and Azarenka, who take time out of their busy schedule and use their considerable clout to promote a just cause. It’s good to know that being a professional athlete is not all about the money nowadays.
Ever since my dad was diagnosed with the Big “C” a couple of years ago, my awareness of the disease jumped from mere theoretical to up close and personal. The disease has brought forth great sadness, but has also brought my family closer than ever.
Cancer among adults is bad enough. But when it afflicts children, it just becomes more heart-wrenching.
Watch the video below to learn more about Kick-It:
Russia and the former Soviet Union has a storied history in women’s long jumping. The 7.52m world record of Galina Chistayakova Галина Чистякова still stands. Tatyana Kotova Татьяна Котова, and Tatyana Lebedeva Татьяна Лебедева occupy prominent positions in the all-time list. Out of the nine Olympic medals at stake the last three Olympic Games, Russian women had won a staggering five. The troika of Lebedeva, Irina Meleshina, and Kotova even made a clean sweep of the podium at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
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