Alexis Ohanian is more than just a tech mogul and Serena Williams’ biggest fan—he’s a passionate advocate for women’s sports. Whether it’s through investing in the game or speaking up for equality, the Reddit co-founder never shies away from pushing for the changes he wants to see. And his recent visit to his alma mater was no different. Taking the stage, Ohanian once again championed the challenges women face in sports, reminding the athletes of the opportunities they deserve.
The 41-year-old visited the University of Virginia to cheer up for the women’s basketball team. Ohanian ensured to boost their confidence with an intriguing message as he reflected that women athletes deserve immense limelight just like their male counterparts and expressed his desire to keep working to support them throughout their careers.
In a video that surfaced on Instagram, Ohanian can be seen addressing some female basketball players. He promised that the next time he visits them, he would try to bring his wife, Williams, as well. He lauded the coach of the team as well and said, “Coach, credit to you too. Their foundation starts here. It’s just so compelling and I see it out there. It’s gonna be a lot of fun to watch this program.” But what caught the attention was his remarkable admiration for female athletes and his desire to bring about a change.
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Speaking further to the athletes, Ohanian said, “I will keep doing the work on the court and off the court, will take care of the rest. This is the era of excellence of women in sports. So no matter how you are thinking like ‘how, well, should I do it now,’ like You all DESERVE EVERY BIT OF THIS!” Continuing further, he also motivated them to understand their worth. “There is a new bar, there is a new standard Accept nothing less.” Ohanian has continued to take several measures to promote women’s sports and one such example was his initiative in the form of Athlos NYC.
For the unversed, the event was a novel, women-only track and field event through which Ohanian desires to bring a positive change in the lives of female athletes. He announced the beginning of the initiative in April this year and highlighted that his venture Seven Seven Six would invest directly in the event. Athletes from the United States and abroad competed for a total purse of at least $500,000 in the event, with the winner securing $60,000. Besides, Ohanian also invests in Angel City FC, a women’s soccer team based in New York. Remember, the businessman has continued to highlight the underinvestment that has been in place when it comes to women’s sports.
“The silver lining of women’s sports being so underinvested was that they were so easy to invest in. You can try anything you want,” he said in an interview with ADWEEK in September this year. And interestingly, Ohanian’s biggest motivation behind investing in women’s sports is his wife, Serena Williams.
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When Alexis Ohanian credited his wife Serena Williams for his passion for women’s sports
Alexis Ohanian looks up to his wife as much as the world does. He has often highlighted the positive influence the tennis great had on him and has reflected on how his life changed after meeting the 23-time Grand Slam champion. One of the many positive influences, according to Ohanian, is the awareness he started to develop about women’s sports after meeting with Williams.
Ohanian attended Squawk Box’s discussion on CNBC in July this year and deliberated on the rise of women’s sports. Speaking in the interview, he credited his wife for the successful initiatives he took and lauded the star player. “The core phenomenon here probably came from a certain someone I’m married to, right? Serena Williams is the prototype for how you can show women’s sports is and can be and should be on the same level as men’s,” he said. Continuing further, he revealed how his views changed after meeting Williams.
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“To be clear, I jumped on this bandwagon really when I met my wife. That was the first time I really watched tennis as a sport. But I really went whole hog in 2019; now I’m really into it.” Both Ohanian and Williams have made significant contributions when it comes to women’s sports. As time evolves, it would be interesting to what new efforts does the Reddit co-founder put in to make significant changes to the field.
