Tennis Time: Add Environment!

As a New Yorker, tennis fan, and tennis player, it's impossible for me not to love this time of year. It's when the Flushing-bound 7 train becomes my best friend. It's when getting home at 2am is a great thing because it means I caught a great match. Yep, it's finally here...it's US Open time baby!!!

Even though I'm living across the country and going to experience the action for the first time in as long as I can remember entirely on TV, I still have the same tennis fever!

With the rankings set and only three days to go until the Open officially begins, it should come as know surprise that this week's Green Gladiator comes from the tennis world. I actually can't think of a better fit considering she has been instrumental in greening the US Open and the Open's home is even named after her! For those non-tennis fans out there, let me be more specific, this week's Green Gladiator is the tennis legend, Billie Jean King!

Billie Jean King is arguably the best female tennis player to ever play and has a tremendous amount of respect around the world. Although I admire her athletic ability, I'm also a big Billie Jean fan because of her environmental work. She understands the power of sports and uses that platform to "win back our planet!"
In 2007, she, along with Ilana Kloss, Pam Derderian and Nancy Becker, developed the GreenSlam initiative. GreenSlam's mission is to use the power of sports to inspire socially responsible change that has positive environmental impacts.

Through programs like the GreenSlam/GreenTernship program and their partnership with the NRDC, GreenSlam is already making a difference!

Billie Jean King's work doesn't stop there. She is the ambassador for the United States Tennis Association's environmental efforts, and helped launch the US Open's comprehensive "green" initiatives two years ago. The initiatives aim to get all the athletes and fans to reduce, reuse, recycle and to turn the highest-attended annual sporting event in the world in the most environmentally conscious. I like it!!

She has also done a ton of PSA's with the USTA and the NRDC that focus on the environment because what better way to bring about real change than through a professional athlete? Here is one of the videos!



Billie Jean King has proven that she isn't just a tennis champion, she is also a champion for the planet. She without a doubt deserves to be this week's Green Gladiator!

And just because it's Friday and I'm so excited for the US Open, here is a fun video for your enjoyment. Have a great weekend!