Williams is determined to show that at 36 years old, she can still compete at the highest levelTIME
TIME's Sean Gregory in a cover story profiles SERENA WILLIAMS, who with 23 Grand Slam singles titles sits "one short" of MARGARET COURT's all-time record. With "age and the demands of parenthood looming over her singular career," Williams knows "every chance matters." A large portion of the world’s workforce "consistently thinks about their children." But "no working mother on the planet is quite like" Williams. It is a "tricky proposition for a world-class athlete." Professional tennis "all but requires selfishness." Yet at 36, an age when even the "greatest champions tend to lose a step," Williams is "determined to show that it doesn’t have to be so." No modern athlete who has "reached her level of stardom has ever returned from so difficult a childbirth, at her age, in a grueling individual sport like tennis, to claim a major global championship." However, Williams said her story "doesn't end here" (TIME, 8/27 issue).
WHAT CAN'T HE DO? TIM TEBOW has "completed filming on his first movie," serving as exec producer with his older brother ROBBY on "RUN THE RACE." The film wrapped in April and is "finalizing post-production as the filmmakers work out the theatrical release." The film follows "two fictional high school brothers whose father abandons them after their mother dies." It stars MYKELTI WILLIAMSON as the "boys’ coach" and FRANCES FISHER as their "surrogate mother." Former NFLer EDDIE GEORGE "plays a college recruiter." Tim Tebow "used his muscle to get permission to film pivotal scenes at his alma mater," the Univ. of Florida (USA TODAY, 8/16).
GIRL POWER: In San Jose, Matt Schneidman profiled Raiders strength and conditioning assistant KELSEY MARTINEZ, the "first female coach in team history and currently the NFL's only female strength coach." Raiders head strength coach TOM SHAW has "known Martinez for eight years." They "worked together extensively at Shaw's training center in Orlando for almost five," and Shaw recommended to Raiders coach JON GRUDEN she be "one of his lieutenants." Martinez oversaw the regiments of over 40 MLBers, include Indians SS FRANCISCO LINDOR and Marlins 3B MARTIN PRADO (MERCURYNEWS.com, 8/15).
HOLD YOUR HORSES: Former Kentucky Derby announcer DAVE JOHNSON said that a popular new mobile video game "stole his distinctive appearance and announcing style." Johnson until '00 "called the Derby and other Triple Crown races for decades for ABC." He is "suing Tilting Point," the makers of the game "Horse Racing Manager 2018." The races in the game are "narrated by a gray-haired, headphones-wearing man who looks suspiciously like Johnson, his right hand characteristically open and raised in what the lawsuit calls the announcer's 'iconic hand gesture'" (NYPOST.com, 8/15)....New York Yacht Club American Magic is the “only announced U.S. team pursuing” the America’s Cup in ’21. The team is “backed by” $100M and “meant to unite the U.S. sailing community behind a trio of experienced hands from various kinds of racing” in Churchill Companies President & CEO JOHN FAUTH, Amway President DOUG DEVOS and NASCAR team owner ROGER PENSKE (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 8/16).
NAMES: Free agent MLBer JOE BLANTON has become a winemaker and released his first wine last November, the ’14 Selah Cabernet Sauvignon. He has three acres of vines “planted at Blanton Family Vineyards” in Northern California (PHILLY.com, 8/14)....DALE EARNHARDT JR. will drive the pace car at this year’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Big Machine Vodka 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 8/16)....U.S. Sen. JEFF MERKLEY (D-Ore.) was seen at DC United’s game against the Timbers yesterday at Audi Field sporting a Timbers scarf (POLITICO.com, 8/16).
IN MEMORY: Former Angels prospect AARON COX, also CF MIKE TROUT’s brother-in-law, died Wednesday at the age of 24 (AP, 8/16).
