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Community Impact

WTA Players Highlight “Sports Talks” with Special Olympics Maryland

Special Olympics Maryland has been looking for ways to engage athletes virtually since the COVID-19 pandemic began. In March, they started monthly “Sports Talks” highlighting a different sport each time as part of their virtual movement. The goal was to keep athletes active and engaged during time at home while also providing them with tools to succeed in sport as soon as they were able to return to play.

Gaby Dabrowski, a member of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), joined April’s virtual call with athletes and shared information about the pre-match routines and workouts she’s been doing at home. Dabrowski, a Canadian player doubles player currently ranked in the Top 10, has been involved with other Special Olympics events helping to encourage and support improvement on the court.

Professional tennis player, Gaby Dabrowski, and SOMD Athlete Leader Julian English talked tennis on a Zoom call for SOMD athletes in April
#ICYMI professional tennis player, Gaby Dabrowski, and SOMD Athlete Leader Julian English talked tennis last night! Gaby is a Canadian Doubles Player ranked as high as 7 in the world.

In August, Tamira Paszek, a WTA player from Austria, joined for the first time. Athletes asked her questions about her skills and for tips on how to improve their tennis skills their own. Paszek talked to about 20 athletes about persevering through challenges reminding them to “fight for your dreams and believe in yourself.”

Paszek also said the best advice she could give to coaches is to really understand the needs of their athletes. For her, hearing a joke from her coach kept her loose and helped her get “back in the zone.”

Click the video to see highlights from Tamira’s talk with Special Olympics Maryland athletes.
During the Special Olympics Maryland “Sports Talks” series, athletes had the opportunity to ask pro-tennis player Tamira Paszek some questions about her approach to playing and competing in Tennis. Tamira, who is from Austria, holds several tennis titles including three Women's Tennis Association championships.

There are plans to invite more WTA players onto future calls with a special focus on the mindset needed for doubles players to improve teamwork, as well as improvement on the fundamentals of the sport. Be on the lookout for more Sports Talks with Special Olympics virtual movement here.

WTA Charities

WTA Charities recently released a cookbook with recipes contributed from current and former players, including Dabrowski and Paszek, with proceeds benefiting community initiatives. Learn more about their work and other initiatives here.

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