‘She Had a Wheelchair’- Venus Williams Recalls Her Young Days With Her Sister in Compton

Venus Williams is a seven-time grand slam winner and a former world no. 1. She has shown the world what sheer persistence can do. She, along with her sister Isha Price, recently took a trip down memory lane. They talked about how Venus had been in love with the sport, even when she had to go around in a wheelchair.

Walking down old roads with Venus Williams

The movie King Richard won an Oscar for the best actor played by Will Smith. It had been nominated in six categories. The movie that was released last year depicts the role of Richard Williams in the lives of Venus Williams and Serena Williams.

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He had been their coach and their mentor in their initial years. Venus Williams visited Compton, her hometown, where she grew up with her sister, Isha Price. They visited their school, home, and the tennis courts, where two of the best tennis players were formed.

The tenacity of Venus Williams

Isha shared a lesser-known story about Venus Williams. She remembered Venus had a growth spurt and had a cast. It had been because her bones and muscles were growing at a faster rate and had it had offset them. She said, “They had to reset them and give her a cast, so she couldn’t play”.

When their father used to ask Venus what she wanted to do; Venus would say that she wanted to play tennis. Isha recalled, “You were so small. She (Venus) had a wheelchair and Daddy would feed her the balls and she would hit volleys… And you became pretty good at the net.”

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This made her perform well on the net later on when she could play without the cast. “I did break my ankle at one point too,” Venus recalled when asked about the wheelchair.

When asked if she remembered it all, Venus said, “I remember vaguely. Maybe it was three months.” She accepted the fact and said, “I guess I wanted to play.” “I was a giraffe, a little baby giraffe,” she added jokingly. Venus, through this anecdote, reached people around the world about how challenges can be turned into opportunities.

Influence of the Williams sisters

Venus Williams and Serena Williams have been two of the best players in women’s tennis. Venus is a seven-time singles grand slam winner and Serena Williams has been a 23-time grand slam winner in singles. Both have been former world no. 1 players and they have always been vocal about social issues as well.

Venus has been an ardent supporter of equal pay in the sport for both male and female players. Recently, young players like Naomi Osaka have also raised their voices in the same matter. Williams sisters continue to encourage people and lead by example what sheer perseverance can do.