Serena Williams
# 1
Hi Mrs. Weber's Class, my name is Serena Williams. I was born on September 26, 1981 in Saginaw, Michigan. My parents are Richard and Oracene Williams. I have an older sister named Venus, and 3 older stepsisters. My father handed me a tennis racket when I was an infant, but I actually started to play tennis when I was just 3 years old.
# 4
I continued with my winning streak the next few years by winning the Australian Open, then the French Open, US Open, and Wimbledon. I was 1 of only 5 women to complete the Grand Slam of Woman's Tennis. I named this "The Serena Slam."
# 8
I will now stop talking about myself and leave you with the following message "You never fail if you try. You only fail if you don't try. Go out there and try whatever you are dreaming of!" Give Tennis a try, you never know you may like it!
# 5
I won an incredible 7 Grand Slam Singles Titles. I did 4 of them in just 1 year! I was the first African-American to win a Grand Slam event since Althea Gibson in 1958. I had a few medical issues and injuries along the way, but I still continue to play tennis today.
# 2
My father coached both Venus and I the game of tennis. He learned the game by reading books and watching videotapes. We first trained in Compton, California. This was a very poor town that had gangs and violence. My father wanted to expose me to the "ugly possiblitities of life" so I would work hard and get an education. One of the things my father liked to do was put Venus and I against a wall and blast hundreds of tennis balls at us to teach us how to "defend ourselves and our rackets." That was just crazy!
# 3
My father decided that we needed more training, so in 1991 he moved my family to the Sunshine State - Florida. By the time I turned 14 in 1995, I turned Professional. I played both singles and doubles. In 1997, I ranked 304th in the world, but by 1998 I was in the top 100. In 1999, I won the US Open and a year later I won Wimbledon and an Olympic gold medal.
# 6
One of the things I am known for is my unique, colorful outfits on the court. I have my own fashion line which I named Aneres. Aneres is actually my name spelled backwards. I have also done some acting and modeling. I have appeared in the shows, My Wife and Kids and the Simpsons. I also do some guest appearances, and I work with organizations that target programs for at-risk youths.
# 7
Some interesting facts that you might want to know about me are-- I am allergic to peanuts, I am afraid of the dark, my all time favorite tv show is the Golden Girls, and I am a huge Marilyn Monroe fan.
