In 2012, 8-year-old Coco danced in the stands during the U.S. Open tennis tournament. Coco loved playing tennis and could barely contain her excitement watching the championship with her parents. That year, Serena Williams defeated Victoria Azarenka in the final to win the U.S. Open. Since Serena had won Wimbledon and a gold medal in the U.S. Olympics that same season, she became the third woman in tennis history to win all three medals. The other two were her sister Venus Williams and Steffi Graf.

Fast forward to September 9, 2023, when that little girl, Coco Gauff, wins the U.S. Open at age 19. Now, she’s one of the youngest winners in the history of the U.S. Open and one of the few Black female champions. Paving the way were Black champions Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Althea Gibson and Sloane Stephens. After the award ceremony, Gauff commented, “I’m a product of their legacy and all the trials and tribulations they had to go through.”

I’ve never been a tennis player nor a tennis fan, yet I couldn’t tear my gaze away during Saturday’s match. Each volley showed the pure athleticism and strength of the athletes. Powerful and finely tuned; balanced and graceful. It was remarkable to see. In addition, the award ceremony was significant because it was the 50th anniversary of equal pay in the U.S. Open. Tennis has stood out among sports in this regard because in 1973 the U.S. Open became the first event to distribute equal prize money in both the men’s and women’s tournaments. That year, the winners took home $25,000. Currently, male and female champions each take home three million dollars.

There were other milestones in 1973. It was the era of tennis great Billie Jean King breaking record after record during her extraordinary tennis career. At age 29, King beat 55-year old Bobby Riggs in the ‘ battle of the sexes’ match in 1973. King is regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time and the records she broke are too numerous to mention. King’s Wikipedia page illustrates her accomplishments, but to highlight just a few, she won 39 Grand Slam titles, founded the Women’s Tennis Association, and is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Time magazine Person of the Year and the French Medal of Honour. Starting in the 1970’s, King spearheaded the issue of pay equity by speaking out about the disparities in prize money in men’s and women’s sports. She raised awareness of the issue and relentlessly advocated for equality while she won championship after championship. Thus, it was a poignant moment when King presented the U.S. Open cup to Coco Graf on Saturday. In her remarks, she shared a quote from Coretta Scott King, “struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never really won. You earn it and you win it in every generation.”

Role models like Billie Jean King make a positive difference in every profession and every walk of life. For many women in sports, Megan Rapinhoe has been an example of an extraordinary athlete making her voice known on issues of social activism such as pay equity and equal rights. Rapinho is a two-time World Cup champion and Olympic Gold Medalist. She is a winger for the OL Reign National Women’s Soccer League as well as the U.S. National team. She won gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics, 2015 FIFA Women’s World

Cup, and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Rapinhoe was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom as well as an ESPY award for Best Player of the Year in 2011.

In gymnastics, Simone Biles is at the top of the profession by earning seven Olympic medals, 25 world championships, and many others. She is an advocate for mental health issues and has publicly spoken about the numerous challenges facing athletes and young professionals. Other role models in women’s sports who come to mind are Ronda Rousey, Mia Hamm, Michelle Kwan, Wilma Rudolph and Nadia Comaneci.

Lesser known role models? Ellen MacArthur who sailed around the world in 2005. It took 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes and 33 seconds. Edurne Pasaban climbed Mont Blanc at 16 and conquered Mount Everest at 28. In 2010, she became the first woman to complete the challenge of climbing 14 eight-thousanders, one of which was Mount Everest. These individuals inspire us and challenge us to be our best selves. They break barriers and smash records, while doing so with courage, strength and perseverance every step of the way.

Who are your role models in life? What characteristics do they display? How do they inspire and affect you? I welcome your thoughts and ideas.