“Such numbers are reason enough for Sports Illustrated to name Serena Williams its 2015 Sportsperson of the Year”.
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“This year was spectacular,”Williams said”.
“For @sportsillustrated to recognise my hard work, my dedication, and my sheer determination gives me hope to continue on and do better”, she said. “I just kept getting these messages from Serena, literally every couple of days-for months”, says Sandberg.
“I didn’t run the whole way this year, but next year I will”, Williams said in the Facebook video.
Williams is the first female individual to earn the honor since Mary Decker in 1983. To that point, I ask, what part of the first Triple Crown victor in 37 years, and the only Triple Crown victor to ever win the Breeders’ Cup Classic isn’t dominant?
Much of the online outrage centered on the fact that Sports Illustrated had polled readers about whom they thought deserved the award, and American Pharoah received the most votes.
Editor of Sports Illustrated Group Paul Fichtenbaum added, “She was the most deserving person for the award”.
This year Williams appeared at a tournament in Indian Wells, California, where she allegedly was taunted with racial slurs as a teenager early in her career. She won 53 of the 56 matches she played in this year and took three of the four Grand Slam events in the sport. Williams was No. 1 in the WTA rankings all season. 2015 has been an unbelievable year for Williams; not only did she win three major titles and “built the most yawning ranking points gap between her and her closest competitor in tennis history”, she did so under huge physical restraints: bone bruises, sickness, and an elbow strain among them. Williams beat contenders like golfer Jordan Spieth and Triple Crown victor American Pharoah for the award. It should be noted that American Pharoah is definitely not a person.
I looked at the chair, than shouted “Omg that dude took my phone!!” The Serena Williams Foundation supports communities that have been affected by violence and promotes equal access to education.
In response to the rightful pushback, the publication tweeted the following from its Twitter account: “We’ve changed the headline and photo on this story to treat it with greater sensitivity”.
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Regarded as the greatest athlete in the world, and certainly of her generation, Williams is a Black woman of many accomplishments.
