Column Venus and Serena Williams return to Compton to renew ties to the community

They left Compton decades ago, pursuing a dream that flickered into shape on the rough public tennis courts of East Compton Park and crystallized into stunning success on well-manicured grass and carefully tended clay courts around the world. But Serena and Venus Williams never severed their ties with the city that shaped them, the place that taught them they’d have to battle for everything they earned and, above all, reinforced the importance of family having your back when others try to take you down.

Venus Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion and the elder sister at 36, said she returned to Compton last year, quietly. “We always keep it low-key. We don’t come and make an announcement that we’re here,” she said. “This has always been our roots and always will be. It makes us proud.

“You always remember those places, like where we went to elementary school, the courts we practiced at, even our old home. And just places you used to go. And of course things change over time. Places move. Shops close. Streets change. But it’s still the same place.”

Their return Friday and Saturday was aimed at making Compton a better place, renewing their ties to the community while honoring the big sister whose murder in a drive-by shooting in Compton in 2003 tore a hole in their hearts that time can never repair.

Serena Williams, the 22-time Grand Slam singles champion whose 186-week reign atop the Women’s Tennis Assn. rankings recently ended, joined Venus on Friday at the Dollarhide Community Center to discuss details of the Yetunde Price Resource Center, which is scheduled to open in Compton early next month. Funded with a five-year endowment from the Williams Sisters Fund, the center will be a conduit to guide those affected by violence and trauma to get the resources they need in order to heal and move on.

Sharoni Little, the center’s chief operating officer, projected that it will serve 50 clients per month. “This is going to be not just an exchange of information but a sustained, deep relationship,” she said. “It will be relational. There will be follow-up. There will be not just passing on a card or a flyer but actually making those connections and relationships. And we obviously know it will grow because of the need.”

Serena and Venus Williams could have benefited from such help after Price, oldest of three daughters from their mother’s first marriage, was killed. Yetunde Price, who was a registered nurse, co-owned a beauty shop and sometimes worked as her sisters’ personal assistant, was 31 and left behind three young children. Two of them, daughter Justus and son Jair, on Friday received a plaque honoring their mother. The plaque will be displayed at the resource center.

“We definitely wanted to honor our sister’s memory because she was a great sister, she was our oldest sister and obviously she meant a lot to us,” Serena said. “And it meant a lot to us, to myself and to Venus and my other sisters as well, Isha and Lyndrea, that we’ve been wanting to do something for years in memory of her, especially the way it happened, a violent crime.

“Basically, how does the family react? If her kids didn’t have my mom and us, it could be really devastating. But we had such a great system that they’re doing pretty good. We just felt like people that didn’t have that opportunity to fall back on, what could they do? And that’s kind of how this resource center came about.”

Serena and Venus have been involved in many charitable efforts. Serena has funded schools in Africa and Jamaica and backed college scholarships for deserving American kids. “We try to help out as far as our arms can spread,” Serena said.

That’s pretty far. “I know we’d like to wrap this whole Earth,” Venus said. “There’s never a limit. There’s always a need and we’ll do everything that we can.”

Compton Mayor Aja Brown, 34, grew up watching the sisters’ tennis feats and was delighted to welcome them back. “They were so inspiring for me, to see girls that looked like me on the court doing amazing things and accomplishing so much with all the discipline and tenacity and the maturity that they really were able to handle so many adverse situations,” she said.

Having them reconnect with Compton through the Resource Center was a significant moment for Brown and the city. “It’s really inspiring for myself and the entire community to have them come back and to really have a strong presence and to come back with such a powerful resource for our community,” said Brown, whose maternal grandmother was murdered in a home-invasion in Compton. “I commend them for not only being champions in their own respective rights but also for being champions for Compton residents.”

The sisters spent part of Saturday in familiar surroundings at Lueders Park, which was walking distance from their childhood home, for the renaming of refurbished courts as the Venus & Serena Williams Court of Champions. Those courts, and courts at what’s now known as East Rancho Dominguez Park, are where everything began for them. Their involvement in the resource center named for their sister ensures their connection with Compton will not end.

“We’re really appreciative to have this opportunity,” Serena said, “and to have it in Compton, I think, brings everything full circle. We started here and we want to make sure people understand this is a great place to be.”

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Venus Williams Added To Long List Of Investors For Ellevest

Venus Williams, the first black American woman to become the top-ranked tennis player in the world, recently became one of the many investors for Ellevest. The $9 million funding round will help the digital investment platform on its mission to give women an investing experience.

Ellevest is run by CEO Sallie Krawcheck and is a company made especially for women in an attempt to close the gender investing gap, a cause the businesswoman has championed. Williams has an extensive background in standing for women’s right for equal pay dating back to 1998.

“I feel like we’ve had so many parallels in our lives,” Williams told Fortune of Krawcheck. “This is really me believing in her.”

Back in 1998, the female victor at Wimbledon had collected less than the male ever since the tournament began back in 1880. In 2005, when both Williams and Roger Federer won their respective championships, Federer found himself with a prize that was 9.5% more than Williams’ ($1.13 million vs. $1.09 million). Finally in 2007, a statement was released from chairman of the All England Club, Tim Phillips, mentioned that the committee had “decided that the time is right to bring this subject to a logical conclusion and eliminate the difference.”

Ellevest is a company full of go-getters, both women and men, who are working to eradicate the pay gap. In addition to the star tennis player, individuals such as Mellody Hobson (President of Ariel Investments), Theresia Gouw and Jennifer Fonstad (co-founders of Aspect Ventures), Miriam Rivera (former Deputy General Counsel at Google) and many more are investors.

“This incredible group of individuals is investing in other women to promote the message about the importance of taking financial control,” Krawcheck said in a statement. “They have each broken down barriers in their own careers and are now turning to closing the gender investing gap; we’re thrilled to have them as investors in Ellevest.”

According to Ellevest, women control about $5.1 trillion of wealth, so making proper investments is important. It is hoped that, with the help of the fintech firm, these women will be able to reach their long-term investment goals such as starting a business, retiring well-off or buying a home.

Venus Williams eliminated by Madison Keys in 3 sets

MONTREAL -- Sixth-seeded Venus Williams tumbled out of the Rogers Cup in the third round Thursday night, falling 6-1, 6-7 (2), 6-3 to 10th-seeded Madison Keys in an all-American match.

Playing her last tournament match before the Rio Olympics, the 36-year-old Williams lost seven straight games before holding serve in the third game of the second set. After Williams rallied to tie the match, Keys found her serve in the third set, ending the match with her 12th ace.

The 21-year-old Keys won the Wimbledon tuneup event in Birmingham, England, this year for her second WTA Tour title, then reached the fourth round at Wimbledon. She'll face 16th-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia in the quarterfinals.

Williams beat Barbora Strycova -- the Czech player whom Keys topped in the Birmingham final -- on Wednesday in her first match since losing to Britain's Johanna Konta on Sunday in the Bank of the West Classic final. Against Keys, Williams struggled with her serve.

"Her first serve was definitely slower than normal," Keys said. "But it was funny, her second serve was a lot slower, but because of the court, it was bouncing a lot higher than normal. So while her first serve was a little easier to return, her second serve was really tough."

Pavlyuchenkova beat fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland.

"It's going to be a tough match," Keys said about Pavlyuchenkova. "She's always tricky because she definitely fights till the end, and she's going to hit a lot of winners."

Pavlyuchenkova let two match points slip away while leading 5-4 in the second set and then lost the game on a double fault. She rebounded in the third set to extend her longest run at the hardcourt event.

"I think I'm still recovering from the second set," Pavlyuchenkova said. "Basically, I thought I had the match in my pocket and lost it, so I'm happy with the mental side."

Radwanska won in 2014 in Montreal.

The 15th-seeded Konta beat American Varvara Lepchenko 6-3, 6-2 to set up a quarterfinal against Slovakia's Kristina Kucova, a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 winner over Canada's Eugenie Bouchard in the late match.

Bouchard was penalized a point for racket abuse in the third set, when she struggled to hit the lines to the disappointment of what had been a festive center-court crowd at Uniprix Stadium.

"I played some high-quality tennis this week -- I can't forget those two matches -- but two matches is not a whole tournament," Bouchard said. "I need to learn how to keep it going and deal with the pressure. I just felt I maybe panicked a little bit, tried to finish the points too soon."

Second-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany beat Ukraine's Elina Svitolina 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4.

"I'm still improving to playing better tennis, being more aggressive and just going for it," Kerber said. "I think today I was a little bit too excited to going for it. This is sometimes, I think, the problem."

Kerber will face Russia's Daria Kasatkina, a 7-5, 6-3 winner over seventh-seeded Roberta Vinci of Italy.

Fifth-seeded Simona Halep of Romania, a finalist last year in Toronto, beat 14th-seeded Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-3. Pliskova, the WTA Tour ace leader, had only five in the match.

"I knew that it's going to be tough because I don't get rhythm from her," Halep said. "You never know what to expect for the next point, so there's a bit of tension. I just had to stay patient for every ball and to keep fighting because I knew that if I stay there for every ball, she can miss more than me."

Halep will face ninth-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova, a 7-6 (2), 6-3 winner over 12th-seeded Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic.

Bank of the West Classic: Venus Williams poised for challenges ahead.

This will be a busy stretch for Venus Williams.

Monday marks the beginning of Wimbledon and the end of the grass court season. The transition to the hard court gets going when Stanford hosts the Bank of the West Classic from July 18-24, a WTA Tour event that launches the Emirates Airline US Open Series.

"I love hard courts," Williams said at a teleconference last week. "A lot of people think my favorite surface is grass, but actually I grew up on hard courts, so I prefer that. I feel right at home on it."

This will be the 13th appearance at the Bank of the West Classic for Williams, who has won the singles title twice and reached seven finals, including in 2004, the first year the event was broadcast from Stanford.

The tournament is basically a tune-up for the US Open, which begins Aug. 29.

"Coming in, of course, you want to come in strong, playing a lot of matches, hopefully winning titles," Williams said. "It gives you confidence going into such a big event as the US Open. But even if you don't win, you're able to hone your game, work through mistakes or chinks in your armor. Unfortunately, as much as you train, there's always something to work on. It gives you the opportunity to figure out, 'What do I need to perfect at this moment in time?' "

Another challenge for Williams is an autoimmune disorder that causes fatigue and joint pain called Sjögren's syndrome, which she was diagnosed with in 2011. But over the years, she's found better ways to manage her health while balancing out her routine.

"Yeah, I mean, of course the first couple years are really tough because there's no road map," Williams said. "There's no one who says, 'This is how you do it, this is how you manage it.' It's challenging. But I've always wanted to rise to the challenge and the occasion. That's not how I see it, as a disadvantage, but a challenge I've had to overcome. I'm always looking for different ways that I can be at my best, whether it's eating, resting, different training regimens, whatever it may be. It's definitely a constant search. I never give up."

This summer there is an added wrinkle with the Rio Olympics in early August.

"The Olympics is such a highlight, but at the same time it's important to play tournaments so you can continue with success on the tour," Williams said. "Also for me it's making sure I have a little bit of a break. This year I've been very successful. I will be starting out with Stanford, Bank of the West, then playing one more event, then heading off to Rio is my plan."

One thing she's already taken care of is her outfit for the Olympics.

"Each and every Olympics it's Wonder Woman as the inspiration," Williams said. "It never changes. Second, trading pins, you know, it's definitely about trading pins, but once you start trading pins, you find out it's about meeting people. That experience of meeting somebody you'll maybe never see again, but the connection you have with them, the joy you have from meeting them, that is the best part of it all. It's an interesting byproduct that you don't expect. Then you have your pins for memories when you look back to remember those times at the Olympics. That's awesome as well."

Veganism grows by 360 per cent in Britain: David Haye, Novak Djokovic and Venus Williams among athletes choosing to go meat-free

It's one of Britain's fastest-growing lifestyle choices and the meat-free diet is increasingly popular among leading sports stars...



The number of vegans in Britain has risen by a staggering 360 per cent over the past decade, making it one of Britain's fastest-growing lifestyle movements, according to a new report by The Vegan Society and Vegan Life magazine.

There are now more than half a million vegans in the UK, typically city dwellers, aged between 15-34 and motivated by ethical and compassionate reasons.

World tennis No 1 Novak Djokovic credits a vegan diet with transforming his health and fitness levels and last month opened a vegan restaurant in Monte Carlo.

Heavyweight boxer David Haye has been a vegan for two and a half years (Getty)

British former world heavyweight boxer David Haye, 35, who is due to fight at the O2 this weekend, turned vegan two and a half years ago.

Speaking to The Independent six months after making the lifestyle choice, he said: "I watched a TV documentary about how animals are farmed, killed and prepared for us to eat... I saw all those cows and pigs and realised I couldn't be a part of it any more. It was horrible. I did some research to make sure I could still obtain enough protein to fight and, once satisfied that I could, I stopped. I'll never go back."

Former Wimbledon champion Venus Williams calls herself a 'cheagan' (a cheating vegan) and Barny Du Plessis is the world's first vegan bodybuilder and former Mr Universe titleholder. He used to consume 20 egg whites a day, his diet now largely consists of protein shakes, bananas, pulses and oils.  

Venus Williams describes herself as a 'cheagan' (Getty Images)

These athletes are at the forefront of changing attitudes towards food and exercise. They prove that you can be fit and healthy on a plant-based diet and go against the long-held belief that you need to eat huge amounts of chicken and eggs to bulk up – or slim down.

At the same time, documentaries such as Leonardo DiCaprio'sCowspiracy are raising awareness of the negative effects of meat production on the environment.

The Netflix cult classic's hard-hitting approach holds animal agriculture, and our individual food choices, responsible for more than 50 per cent of human-caused climate change.

But by enlightening viewers, it's engaging them, and promoting more vegan-friendly lifestyle choices in the process.

"The public perception of veganism is changing fast. It's no longer an extreme lifestyle, it's easy and accessible. You can walk into any supermarket and be confronted by a huge range of dairy-free milks and other vegan-friendly products," says Keth Coomber, the publishing director of Vegan life magazine.

Around half of Britain's 1.68 million vegetarians now say that they want to reduce their consumption of animal products. As such, veganism's spectacular growth is showing no signs of slowing.

Lizzie is the author of London's ethical food website, bicbim.co.uk. Follow her on Twitter @LizzieRivs and @bicbim.

TWO VEGAN RECIPES TO TRY:

Simon Remoli's fresh, handmade vegan pasta with arrabiata sauce 

For the fresh pasta 
Ingredients:
2/3 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup of water
1/2 to 3/4 tsp salt

1. Get a large mixing bowl and combine the flour and salt - then add the water.

2. Stir the mixture with a fork until it starts to form a ball. Then you can use your hands to combine the dough. If it's too dry, add more water (very little at a time) or if it's too wet, add a touch more.

3. Turn the dough ball out onto a well-floured cutting board. Flour your hands as well. You'll need to knead the dough for about 10 minutes, or until it becomes smooth and pliable. If the ball or board is too wet, dust them with flour.

4. You should be able to work with the ball without having it stick to anything. You may have to add flour occasionally whilst you are kneading. To knead, push the dough away from you with the heel of your hand. Then fold it over on itself, turn it and repeat.

5. Covered the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for around 10 minutes.

6. Once you've rested your dough, divide it into eighths. Take one of the eighths to work on, and put the others aside, covered so that they don't dry out.

7. Flour your surface again, and flour your dough section. Using a rolling pin, roll the pasta out, rolling from the middle to the outside. 

8. Then turn your pasta strip and repeat. Lift the pasta off the board as you turn it to ensure it's not sticking, and add more flour if you need it. When the dough is as thin as you can comfortably get it (preferably between 2 and 4 mm thick) you're ready to cut your spaghetti. 

9. Flour your rolled spaghetti well all over. Then loosely roll it up. Next, with a sharp knife, make cuts along the roll.  Unroll the strips and you have your fresh vegan spaghetti!

For the sauce
Ingredients:
2 finely chopped cloves of garlic 
2 chopped green chilies 
1 small onion 
5 stoneless green olives 
800g fresh plum tomatoes  
300g tinned tomatoes 
Handful of salt 
Handful basil and parsley mix 

1. Place your chopped garlic and onion in a pan, and allow them to sweat with half a glass of good extra virgin olive oil over a medium heat for 10 minutes. Add in your green olives. 

2. Chop your fresh plum tomatoes and add to the pan. Cook for at least 15 minutes. You will eventually see that the tomatoes will release some juices, when this occurs add your 300g of tinned tomatoes, then add salt and bring to boil in a slow heat. 

3. Leave the sauce cook for 45 minutes until it becomes thick. 

4. Add the basil and the parsley and mix with the hand blender until the mixture becomes creamy and smooth. 

5. Boil the pasta for 3 minutes in salted boiling water. Join them in the hot sauce and stir it with a spoon and then plate them up. A drizzle of olive oil on top and ENJOY! 

pastaremoli.co.uk

Summer vegetable paella with saffron and lemon

Serves two

Ingredients:
sunflower or light olive oil, for frying
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, grated or crushed
1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into 5mm-thick slices
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into 5mm-thick slices
200g paella rice – calasparra paella rice if you can get it
100g mushrooms, finely sliced
3 tomatoes, diced
¼ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp paprika
2 pinches of saffron threads
1 litre of good veg stock
100g green beans or sugar snaps, or a mixture of both (if using beans, top, tail and chop into thirds)
good handful of parsley, chopped
1 lemon, cut into wedges
salt and pepper

1. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a heavy-bottomed paella pan or large frying pan or flameproof casserole. Add the onion and fry gently on a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring now and then.

2. Add the garlic and peppers to the onion and stir for two minutes. Add the rice, mushrooms, tomatoes, both types of paprika and saffron.

3. Pour in three quarters of the stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep an eye on the liquid and top up with a little more stock or water as needed (you might not need it all).

4. The paella shouldn’t be sloppy at the end so add liquid sparingly during the last 10 minutes.

5. While the paella is cooking, boil the green beans for three minutes, then refresh them in a bowl of very cold water. If you are using sugar snaps, you can simply throw them in raw towards the end of cooking.

6. After 30 minutes of cooking, check the rice is tender and cook a little longer if needed. If there is any excess liquid, turn up the heat and stir to boil it off. Then cook very gently without stirring, to create a crust on the bottom (it’s not very easy to achieve without a proper paella pan, though).

7. Stir in the beans and parsley. Turn off the heat and leave to stand for two minutes, then check the seasoning and serve with wedges of lemon.

Variation
You can use any sort of green beans in this; try double-podded broad, sliced runners or flat green beans.

Absence of Williams sisters highlights tennis scheduling issue

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — U.S. captain Mary Joe Fernandez says the Fed Cup format may have to change if the world’s best players are to find time in their schedules to take part more consistently in the international women’s tennis competition.

The United States will be without its top three singles players, Serena and Venus Williams and Sloane Stephens, when it faces Australia in a World Group playoff this weekend.

The Americans still have a strong team for the match, which will be played on a temporary clay court at Brisbane’s Pat Rafter Arena. The lineup includes No. 22-ranked Madison Keys, Coco Vandeweghe (36), Christina McHale (57) and Bethanie Mattek-Sands (89).

The absence of the biggest names raised questions over whether the tournament can retain its prestige.

Fernandez told a news conference Wednesday the format and scheduling of the tournament made it difficult for top players such as the Williams sisters to easily commit. She said players mapped out their schedules at the start of the year and were then required to find space at late notice for Fed Cup ties.

“We didn’t find out we were coming to Australia until the second week of February,” Fernandez said. “It’s not the most convenient thing to do, come to Australia when everyone’s heading to Europe or in the States.”

Fernandez said she’d spoken to the International Tennis Federation about revising the format, and agrees a format more like the men’s Davis Cup could make it “a little bit easier to follow and it will be a lot more convenient for the players.”

Australia captain Alicia Molik said the attitude to Fed Cup differed from nation to nation but few countries took the tournament more seriously than Australia, which will be represented on the weekend by Sam Stosur, Daria Gavrilova, Casey Dellacqua and Arina Rodionova.

“The tradition starts young,” Molik said. “We’re fortunate in Australia to have our best players wanting to play and put their hand up at all times to represent their country.”

Molik said she understood the reasons the top U.S. players were absent and said Australia would not be taking their opponents lightly.

“In Serena and Venus’s case, Olympics is a big goal for them, they have (already) qualified,” Molik said. “The U.S. has the luxury, they have a lot of top players, but I think it just really points out that we here in Australia have players who are really commited to our country.”

Venus Williams: 15 Things You Didn’t Know (Part 2)

Venus Williams is known worldwide for her extreme success in tennis. Like many of her peers, she’s traveled the world, and has done so much more. Here are more facts about this athlete that many people don’t know.

Number Eight: She Wasn’t a Normal Child

Of course, who wants to be normal anyway? When Venus was young, they didn’t put her into a traditional schooling system to accommodate both her career and preference. She was home-schooled and practiced six hours a day, only resting one day in an entire week. Doing something else would have felt like a prison to her.

Number Seven: Venus Williams Was Wanted Early On

When Venus Williams was just a young teen, companies were already contacting her family for endorsement contracts. This was before she even became a professional.

Number Six: Her Father Booed Her

Venus William’s father, who was also he coach, booed her in her early competitions. He did this so that she would become more competitive, which was lacking beforehand.

Number Five: She Has Gold Medals

Something else that Venus Williams is known for is her success at the Olympics. Over the years, she’s gained a total of four. This is quite a number to have won so far in life.

Number Four: She Has Been Confident for Forever

Something which this athlete has had her entire professional career is confidence. After her first Wimbledon, she told reporters that there will be many more to come. This attitude has probably attributed to her great success.

Number Three: She Was Fined for Her Hair

Early on in her career, Venus wore beads in her hair when she competed. Once, they spilled on the court, which landed her a big fine. That must have been an infuriating moment for her at the time.

Number Two: She’s Been in Sports Illustrated

In 2005, Venus modeled for Sports Illustrated. She appeared in the swimsuit edition, which is quite the compliment.

Number One: She First Wanted Another Career

When Venus Williams was just a young child, she wanted to be an astronaut. Quickly, however, she became enveloped in the idea of becoming a tennis player.

Venus Williams: 15 Things You Didn’t Know (Part 1)

Venus Williams is one of the top tennis players in the entire world. She’s broken barriers and continues to be a force. Here are some facts about this athlete that many people don’t know. Stay tuned for the next part of the article, which should be here soon!

Number Fifteen: She’s Beaten Serena Twice

By now, almost everyone knows the William sisters. However, not many people know that Venus Williams was the only person to beat Serena twice in the US open. Knowing what a huge force Serena is, this is quite the accomplishment.

Number Fourteen: They Avoided Junior’s Tennis

Well, in a sense. When Venus was being trained alongside her sister by her dad, they aimed to not be in the Junior’s Tennis circuit too much in order to avoid exhaustion. This gave them the upper hand in competitions.

Number Thirteen: She Lived With Serena for a Long Time

Up until just a couple of years ago, Venus Williams lived with Serena in the same house in Florida. Even now, they only live a few miles apart from one another.

Number Twelve: Venus Williams Has a Really Fast Serve

Venus Williams is really fast when she serves the ball. At 129 mph, it’s extremely difficult for her competition to hit back when she’s serving.

Number Eleven: She Was The First

Venus Williams was the first black woman in the world to be ranked first place. It’s people like her which inspire many to have big dreams.

Number Ten: She Has More Than One Sister

For anyone that is a fan of tennis, they may be surprised to learn that Serena isn’t the only sister Venus Williams has. There’s also Yetunde, Lydnrea, and Isha. Sadly, Yetunde was murdered in 2003.

Number Nine She Was Once Called Unorthodox

When Venus Williams was on the rise, Robin Finn, who works for the New York Times, said that she was “the most unorthodox tennis prodigy her sport has ever seen”. Seeing her success in following years, it can be understood that it was a compliment.

There’s so much to this athlete that still a lot of people don’t know. Stay tuned for part two, coming soon!