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“I'm still kicking,” she said, smiling.
King will ride the 5 1/2-mile route through the streets of
Pasadena on Jan. 1 and be part of the coin flip for the 111th
Rose Bowl football game later that day.
“We looked forward to it every year,” she said, recalling her
childhood in Long Beach. “My mother and I always loved parades."
The parade’s theme of “Best Day Ever!” celebrates life’s best
moments.
“I love it,” she said. “I have a whole new saying the rest of my
life now. It reminds us of living in the present every single
day.”
She joins a long line of athletes who’ve served as grand
marshals, including Olympic champions Laurie Hernandez, Greg
Louganis, Janet Evans, Allyson Felix, Carl Lewis and Shannon
Miller, as well as golfers Chi-Chi Rodriguez and Arnold Palmer,
and Pelé and Hank Aaron.
“They’re absolutely the who’s who of American history,” she
said.
King, however, is the first female athlete to serve on her own.
She has long advocated for gender equity, LGBTQIA+ rights and
other social justice issues.
The 39-time major champion’s haul includes 20 Wimbledon titles
in singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
King was honored with a bronze statue at Cal State Los Angeles
last week. She attended the university from 1961-64, winning her
first Wimbledon doubles title while still a student, but never
graduated. She told students she plans to re-enroll and finish
her degree.
King has ownership interests in the Los Angeles Dodgers and the
Angel City FC women's pro soccer team.
She recently became the first individual female athlete to be
awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, which recognizes her “life
devoted to championing equal rights for all, in sports and in
society.”
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