William West/Getty
- Serena Williams is starring in a new Secret deodorant commercial airing during the Olympic Games.
- The commercial draws attention to the high rates of young women dropping out of sports.
- Williams told Insider she wants more young women to have the same opportunity she did.
- See more stories on Insider’s business page.
Serena Williams is a boss on and off the tennis court – a veritable athletic powerhouse and an investor in companies boasting a combined market cap of $14 billion. But beyond success, tennis has taught Williams the virtues of fully committing to a craft.
“It taught me the power of discipline,” Williams told Insider. “It also taught me dedication.”
But as more young women drop out of sports at an unprecedented pace, many young women athletes may not get the same life lessons and opportunities.
Research by the Women’s Sports Foundation and research by the nonprofit Canadian Women & Sport found that young women drop out of sports at about twice the rate of young men. A big part of the problem is the lack of airtime and media coverage around women’s and girls’ sports.
To draw attention to the issue, Williams is partnering with the deodorant company Secret in an Olympics commercial that airs on Tuesday. The commercial, “Just Watch Me,” urges viewers to follow and watch more girls’ and women’s athletics. As part of the campaign, Secret is pledging $150,000 to fund girls’ sports.
“I really love how Secret wants to support and empower all young girls and women athletes,” Williams said.
When asked about the key to her success, Williams said commitment and consistency.
“Discipline takes a lot of work and a lot of effort. It doesn’t happen overnight. You have to work on it to cultivate it,” she said. “It’s like when you’re cultivating the land. It takes years. So the same applies when you are working at your field. It takes a lot of repetitiveness.”
Indeed, Williams has used that discipline to recover from severe career setbacks.
In 2018, she suffered a life-threatening pregnancy complication where nurses questioned her despite severe symptoms. It turned out that she had a large hematoma, a swelling of clotted blood, in her abdomen that could have traveled to her lungs. Later that year, she was labeled “emotional” in a 2018 US Open dispute with a referee. Just a few weeks ago, a leg injury forced her to withdraw from Wimbledon.
“Sports lead to strong leadership skills, team work and higher levels of confidence in young people. Being able to make an impact that will keep future generations of girls in sports is crucial as society continues to push towards equality for women,” said Kate DiCarlo, a senior director of communications at Procter & Gamble.
Maritza McClendon, the first Black woman to join a US Olympic swim team and a 2004 Olympic silver medalist, said she’s proud that Williams is speaking out about the high rate of girls dropping out of sports.
“I’ve always admired Serena, not only for the athlete she is, but also for her passion, her realness, and her toughness,” McClendon said. “I love that Serena embraces this opportunity, attacks it like no one else has, and pushes people to think and do differently.”
The famed swimmer said swimming changed her life by teaching her perseverance, a skill she’s used as a mom, life coach, and motivational speaker.
“We need girls to stay in sports because of how sports enrich our lives. For a young girl to drop out of sports, it’s a missed opportunity for greatness,” she said.
Williams spoke to the same point.
“We have to support them, encourage them,” Williams said. “We have to support our girls.”
Powered by WPeMatico
