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‘Yes to Women!’-Venus Williams Posts Tribute to Boston’s Legend Kathrine Switzer

Published 06/02/2022, 4:50 AM EDT

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Venus Williams, the American tennis legend and seven-time Grand Slam champion, is an inspirational woman. Be it voicing her thoughts fearlessly or fighting for equal rights, Williams has done it all. In fact, she was brave enough to fight for equal prize money at the Wimbledon Championship when her career had just started touching its peak. And, as a result, she became the first women’s singles champion to earn equal prize money.

Therefore, as Williams herself was in that position, she understands the hardships and respects the efforts of women who managed to get a breakthrough in other sectors. Recently, she shared the motivational story of one such woman.

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Venus Williams about Kathrine Switzer

The Former World No.1 took to Instagram to share the story of Kathrine Switzer, who fought against the odds to complete her dreams. And wrote, “Yes to Women!” As Switzer was the first women ever to enter the Boston Marathon. Further, she trained with the men’s cross-country team to prove that women aren’t fragile and can run a 26.2 miles race.

 

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However, later, the Amateur Athletic Union banned women from competing in races against men because of what happened during her run. Jock Semple, the manager of the race, assaulted Switzer in an attempt to grab her bib number and remove her from the official competition.

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Read more: ‘We Weren’t Even Allowed to Get Our Ears Pierced’- Venus Williams Details How Her Parents Didn’t Allow Her to Show Off

Though her coach, some fellow runner and her boyfriend tackled the man down. Thus protecting Switzer and the faith of several women who later stood their ground, drawing inspiration from her.

Williams’ wise words

The 41-year-old is a hit in tennis and also is a successful businesswoman. She has made several fruitful investments in various brands and companies. Hence, she is an idol for many aspiring young women and her words are nothing less than inspiration for them.

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via Getty

A few days back, she sat down for an interview with variety and spoke about the must-have qualities for running a business. Venus said, “Don’t be afraid to say no. Especially as women, we sometimes want to make people happy, but making people happy is actually giving them feedbacks. And sometimes the feedback isn’t a yes. Don’t be afraid to say no.”

Watch this story: Maria Sharapova versus Serena Williams—who wins the entrepreneurial race

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Further about her game, Williams broke the joyous news about her return recently. She has promised a comeback in this season but wants to keep the details of the tournaments a secret.

 

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Written by:

Mahima Verma

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Mahima Verma is a Tennis writer for EssentiallySports. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Hotel Management from IHM Mumbai. A sports enthusiast, particularly Tennis since her childhood, Mahima believes that she is fortunate enough to witness the legends like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Serena Williams play.
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Edited by:

Ajinkya Aswale