Venus Williams celebrates her 36th birthday tomorrow. The world No. 9 reveals her Olympic style is inspired by an ageless super hero: Wonder Woman.
Speaking to the media on conference call to promote her appearance at next month's Bank of the West Classic, Williams cited the super hero as an Olympic inspiration.
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"Well, the dress, my dress at the Olympics is always inspired by Wonder Woman," Williams said. "Each and every Olympics it's Wonder Woman as the inspiration. It never changes."
Here's a look at the dress Williams designed for the Rio Games.
Asked if she's considering adopting Wonder Woman-style gold wristbands, Williams replied: "I should. I'll probably do a special Olympic hair, though. Maybe I'll come back with colored hair. I haven't done that in a while."
The four-time Olympic gold medal champion values the Games more than Grand Slams because of the pride she feels competing as an Olympian.
"For me, personally, yes (Olympics are above Grand Slams)," Venus told the media at Roland Garros last month. "The proudest moment for me when they do the on-court announcements, are the Olympic results. For me, that feels legitimate."
Williams has adopted a vegan diet and adheres to a disciplined schedule in an effort to cope with the challenges of her ongoing battle with Sjogren’s Syndrome, the energy-sapping disease that sometimes leaves her feeling like a Formula 1 car running on a half tank of gas.
She says she views the illness as a challenge to overcome rather than an obstacle in her path.
"I mean, of course the first couple years are really tough because there's no road map," Williams said of managing her illness. "There's no one who says, This is how you do it, this is how you manage it. It's challenging. But I've always wanted to rise to the challenge and the occasion. That's not how I see it, as a disadvantage, but a challenge I've had to overcome.
"I'm always looking for different ways that I can be at my best, whether it's eating, resting, different training regimens, whatever it may be. It's definitely a constant search. I never give up."
Photo credit: AP Photo