August 25th is the birthdate of a noted leader and the late tennis pro, Althea Gibson. She rocked the world of tennis with her ability and stature during a time when she was least expected to do so.
What makes her legacy so meaningful is that she was a trailblazing athlete who became the first African American to win championships including Wimbledon, the French Open, the US Open, and the Australian Doubles in the 1950s.
Born on August 25, 1927, in Silver, South Carolina, Althea grew up in New York City with little chance of access to resources or even the game of tennis. With helpful mentors and instructors, she won more than 50 singles and doubles titles throughout her career. And this was all before she gained national and international accolades for outstanding athletic ability.
What her legacy means is that each trailblazer does not get where they are alone. Her role of competing and persevering means that she overcame adversity during a time when few African Americans were able to compete on a national much less international stage.
Gibson’s autobiography, I Always Wanted to Be Somebody, came out in 1958. What I find curious is that she was restless during her formative years and wanted to find a way to leave behind a legacy. Just by being committed to her craft and focusing on her game, she did that and more.
In turn, she paved the way for other African American tennis stars including Arthur Ashe, Venus Williams, and Serena Williams. Thank goodness for Althea, a trailblazer in worldwide tennis, who to the lead without even knowing.
Here are some of her noted reflections:
• I always wanted to be somebody. If I made it, it’s half because I was game enough to take a lot of punishment along the way and a half because there were a lot of people who cared enough to help me.
• I don’t want to be put on a pedestal. I just want to be reasonably successful and live a normal life with all the conveniences to make it so. I think I’ve already got the main thing I’ve always wanted, which is to be somebody, to have an identity. I’m Althea Gibson, the tennis champion. I hope it makes me happy.
• No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helped you.
• Most of us who aspire to be tops in our fields don’t really consider the amount of work required to stay on top.
If you’re interested to learn more about Althea’s leadership, then please read more about her at http://www.answers.com/topic/althea-gibson and in her autobiography, I Always Wanted to Be Somebody.
-Dawn McCoy, author of Leadership Building Blocks: An Insider’s Guide to Success
