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Former world No. 1 Venus Williams gave credit to her parents for preparing her everything that was about to come in her life. Williams, who has 23 Grand Slams to her name, has been one of the most vocal players about the importance of speaking about mental health.
"My parents were big proponents of mental health — not just self-care, but proactivity,” Williams said, per The New York Post. “It was about realizing that the world is a beautiful place, but it’s also a challenging place, and that you have to prepare mentally to be able to handle the pressures.
I was able to succeed in places where others [didn’t] because I had that support from a young age”.
Williams wants to help
Recently, Williams partnered with the WTA and online counseling platform BetterHelp on an initiative that’s providing $2 million in free therapy to anyone who wants it.
"There are no barriers,” Williams said of the program. “You just need a phone or a laptop and access to the Internet”. Williams is a strong believer that a good mental health is a key to a happy life. "Nothing can buy that,” Williams said.
“And nothing can replace it, either. For me, mental health means being in a place where you have that peace of mind, that happiness, that sense of being free, of having the ability to dream big and go for it”. Following the death of renowned designer Virgil Abloh, Williams urged her fans to take their health and wellness seriously.
"This is an opportunity to celebrate Virgil's life and an opportunity for us to take our health and wellness more seriously because we are fortunate enough to be able to control it," Williams said said in a video posted on Instagram, as quoted on TENNIS magazine. "Just praying for Virgil and his family."
