ᴀꜱ ꜱᴇʀᴇɴᴀ ᴡɪʟʟɪᴀᴍꜱ ʀᴇᴛɪʀᴇꜱ, ᴡᴇ ʀᴇꜰʟᴇᴄᴛ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɪᴍᴘᴀᴄᴛ ꜱʜᴇ ʜᴀꜱ ʜᴀᴅ ᴏɴ ᴡᴏᴍᴇɴ'ꜱ ꜱᴘᴏʀᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴏʏᴏ ᴀʙɪᴏɴᴀ. ᴍᴏʏᴏ ɪꜱ ᴀ ᴘᴏᴅᴄᴀꜱᴛᴇʀ ᴏɴ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ ꜰᴇᴍᴀʟᴇ-ʟᴇᴅ ᴘᴏᴅᴄᴀꜱᴛ, ɢᴏᴀʟᴅɪɢɢᴇʀꜱ, ᴛᴇᴀᴍ ᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ᴀᴛ ʙʟᴏᴏᴍꜱʙᴜʀʏ ɢɪʀʟꜱ ᴀᴄᴀᴅᴇᴍʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛᴀᴛᴏʀ. ʙᴇʟᴏᴡ ᴀʀᴇ ʜᴇʀ ᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ: Growing up as a black girl from South London, who has always been fully immersed in sport, I can honestly say that no athlete has been a bigger inspiration to me than Serena Williams. Whilst my Bermondsey roots lie miles from her Florida upbringing, and my passion is for football and not tennis, her commitment to becoming the best is nothing short of inspiring. My earliest memory of Serena was receiving matching Venus and Serena rackets for my sister and I. Whilst we didn’t become the next Williams’ sisters, lots about Serena represented myself or those close to me on the biggest stage of all. To me, the beads she sported in her ever changing hair felt familiar. Something about the familiarity made me root for her and her journey, unaware of the ride we would go on as supporters. When we think about the greatest, we think about winning and the ability to dominate, but also to rise when your back is against the wall. The ability to not fold under pressure, and to deliver when the expectations of the world are on your shoulder. She epitomised that, with a fist pump, a grunt or her synonymous post-match twirl. Serena has been unapologetically herself throughout her career and as a woman, she’s highlighted once again that you can be both aggressive and graceful on the court. You can pull off the most unimaginable shot and be an entertainer. You can become a mother and still make it to four Grand Slam Finals. Serena has inspired me to operate without restrictions. As the main catalyst for my passion in sport, her lack of restriction in the way she presents herself on and off the court has inspired me. It’s given me the space to openly write and discuss sport, podcast about football and get involved with football organisations to inspire the next young person. So thank you Serena for being the perfect example to me of Black Excellence. More than just a x23 Grand Slam winner. A fighter, a winner, a mother and a LEGEND.