All In by Billie Jean King
Discussion Date: April 25, 2024 12:00pm-1:00pm
Registration Link: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=2RNYUX1x3UWeypqhnAnW-WsU7lwr1JdCoPE2n2KW0QxUOVQxMEs1QjJUS1NBSDIzTFJHSDU2VEFSRi4u
In this spirited account, Billie Jean King details her life’s journey to find her true self. She recounts her groundbreaking tennis career – six years as the top-ranked woman in the world, 20 Wimbledon championships, 39 grand-slam titles, and her watershed defeat of Bobby Riggs in the famous “Battle of the Sexes”. She poignantly recalls the cultural backdrop of those years and the profound impact on her worldview from the women’s movement, the assassinations and anti-war protests of the 1960s, the civil rights movement, and, eventually, the LGBTQ+ rights movement.
She describes the myriad challenges she’s hurdled – entrenched sexism, an eating disorder, near financial peril after being outed – on her path to publicly and unequivocally acknowledging her sexual identity at the age of 51. And she talks about how her life today remains one of indefatigable service. She offers insights and advice on leadership, business, activism, sports, politics, marriage equality, parenting, sexuality, and love. She shows how living honestly and openly has had a transformative effect on her relationships and happiness. Hers is the story of a pathbreaking feminist, a world-class athlete, and an indomitable spirit whose impact has transcended even her spectacular achievements in sports.