Home: Santa Rosa Beach, FL. Age: 60. Birthplace: Chicago, IL. Profession: Sports, health and wellness, education, humanitarian work. Organization: Little Star Foundation. Title: Founder and President.
Current project: Expanding Little Star Foundation's global reach: bringing specialized care, therapeutic programs, and financial assistance to children battling cancer and traumatized children. Recent recognition: Grateful for the daily kind words from people and honored to do my part in bringing light and care to children's lives and the world in general. Latest accomplishment: Teamwork with children’s hospitals around the country and the world. Multiple global awards received. Accomplishments belong to Little Star Foundation supporters and the children, families, and communities we serve. Latest contribution to others: Our Jeff Crawford Scholarship, established in memory of Cindy Crawford's brother, supports childhood cancer survivors in attending college. Watching them walk across a different stage of accomplishment, knowing their hospital journey - priceless. What’s been your big (or biggest leap)? Serving God with every ounce of my being. An everyday leap I have taken since childhood, honored to take it daily. People were shocked when I donated all my professional tennis earnings to help children with cancer and others in need. I knew it was what I was called to do. Leaping daily to be aligned with God is a joy. Hobbies: Tennis (still and always); zoology, studying theology, and generally involved learning, practicing, and living ancient languages and caring for animals, nature, children, and the elderly. Last book read: The Heart of the World, by Thomas Keating.
Personality profile: Tenacious, faith-driven, fierce, caring, dedicated. What one word would your closest friend use to describe you? Unshakeable. Moral compass: God knows, sees, hears, and is aware of all. How do you define a perfect friendship? Alignment with God, the Divine or the Universe. How do you define an ideal business relationship? Transparent, succeeds without harming others, is called to mission-aligned, willing to do the moral thing. What is your greatest joy? Alignment with God, the Divine, the Universe, and serving. Bringing joy to children, caring for animals and nature, and caring for the elderly and children hurting in heart, spirit, and soul. What is your greatest fear? Fundraising is short of reaching all the children on the waiting list for Little Star Foundation Programs. What is your guilty pleasure? Bubble baths and Oreo yogurt shakes. What word or phrase do you use far too often? Why would I use it again then? What natural talent have you neglected? Writing. The book felt important., I should do another and I will, as soon as I finish this. What occupation, other than your own, do you most admire? Passionate and called to hospice care workers, elderly caretakers in facilities, first responders, front line workers, animal rescuers, naturalists, any child caregiver, and hospital workers, Great Dads and Moms, all the quiet heroes that rarely get recognized and do a greater good because they can. What is at the top of your bucket list? Living it. How do you relieve stress? Prayer, studies, nature, animals, bubble baths. What ingredient is essential to your perfect vacation? God.
What was your first paying job? Professional tennis player at 14. What was your favorite childhood toy or game? My tennis racket always felt like my friend. What book have you repeatedly read? The Bible, Bhagavad Gita, other books from my international religion studies. Besides your parents, who has had the greatest influence on your life? God first always. My parents and sister are awesome teachers. What’s the best advice you received growing up? Do so. What personal circumstance has had the greatest influence on your life? When I was told on the pro tour that I couldn’t help children and play professional tennis at the same time. Big decision to make as a teenager.
What is your big idea?
In sports: professional athletes have a unique platform and responsibility to redirect resources toward the most vulnerable before the spotlight fades. Do it before retirement. Start now. It may become your greatest joy. In life: know God, the Universe, Divine. In work: goals for good. Participate and help.
What change are you working on to effect in your profession or field? Safety for children, child wellness cognitively, spiritually, physically, socially, and mentally. Support for children with life-threatening diseases and life-altering conditions. Abuse stopped in any form, child, animal, elderly, nature, people, etc. What change would you like to see in the world? Childhood cancer gone. Abuse of children, animals, nature, the elderly, and people also gone. What message do you want to send out into the world? Every bit of kindness and service matters and is important. What widely held belief do you reject? Sports heroes should never get more recognition than service heroes. So many unknowns are doing incredible service.
What title would you choose for the movie about your life? Don’t need a movie on me. Who would you like to spend an evening with, in heaven? Let’s spend it here and now, please. As a kid, what did you first want to be when you grew up? The same person. I wanted to be me and knew whatever that was to be God would take care of. After your loved ones, what object would you first save from your burning home? Animals are considered loved ones, then the laptop and my prayer closet items. How would you choose to spend tomorrow, if you knew it was your last day on earth? Doing what I do every day, Little Star Foundation works with the awesome people who are supportive and smile even when the work is tough. What advice would you give your younger self? Tell those people in that room that you can both play pro tennis and help children. What day in your life would you choose to re-live? The day those people made that ruling.
Personal mission: To fulfill everything God has called me to fulfill. To do it with joy even when it is tough. Personal motto: Soli Deo Gloria, which I chose first for my book title. To God alone the glory. To clarify, the publisher asked me to pick a second title. Favorite quote: My favorite quote is one that is coming in today, as present and presence matter. Desired epitaph: I am still alive, just in a different form.
