While speaking at ADWEEK’s Brandweek conference on Sept. 23, Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian recalled a moment he had with their daughter Olympia in 2019.
“We were watching the final of the World Cup in 2019 from our rented house in Wimbledon,” Ohanian recalled at the conference, according to People.
“Olympia was running around in her Alex Morgan jersey, and I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if she played on a national team one day?’”
That’s when Williams, who was still playing professional tennis at the time, made it clear that she didn’t want her daughters playing sports professionally until women in professional sports are paid their worth.
“And Serena was like, ‘Not until they pay her what she’s worth.’ And I was like, ‘Touché, okay, challenge accepted,’” Ohanian continued. “And that’s what motivated me to buy a team and help be a part of the change.”
Currently, Ohanian is a major shareholder and investor in the Angel City Football Club, a women’s soccer teams in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), Forbes reports.
Olympia definitely inherited her mom’s athletic spirit.
While it’s unclear if Olympia will take after her mom and pursue tennis, her Instagram reveals she has taken a liking to several different sports, including golf, soccer, and now track & field.
Olympia showed off her golf swing in early September and just a few days ago, revealed her need for speed.
This particular photo was captured at Ohanian’s inaugural Athlos New York City women-only track meet, where winners and runners-up win cash prizes.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Ohanian said his hope for Athlos is to take women’s track & field to the next level. “It’s never about charity or altruism. It is capitalism. We want to do that because we want to win.”
And of course, she’s been known to accompany her mom on the tennis courts.
Ohanian and Williams are also parents to 1-year-old Adira, who is a bit too young to show of her potential interests yet.
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