Spending time with athletes has always been a joy in my life. The opportunity to work with our team to create Generation W’s Links to Leadership Summit for the phenomenal professional athletes competing in the PXG Women’s Match Play Championship, in addition to outstanding collegiate golfers playing in national programs, was an exciting and inspiring endeavor. Stemming from an idea two years in the making seeded in MindShare’s CEO Mark Berman’s vision to create a women’s golf tournament that was MORE THAN, Generation W deeply understood the power and impact that partnering with that vision could make happen. What a magical moment it was seeing that idea come to life – rooted in the shared belief that every woman, every girl, every human deserves to be recognized fully and equitably.
To enter the room, the electric current of energy radiating and enveloping the space was truly magical. The athletes were curious. What was going to happen in the 4 hours they just committed to spend with each other, with accomplished and inspiring mentors, and with themselves. There were moments of joy and laughter, inquisitive thinking, and even a few tears. For the time we spent together, we set our cellphones and devices aside so that we could be intentional in our efforts to experience both self-reflection and the power of connecting with the stories and journeys of others in attendance. In a world that can sometimes feel increasingly isolated, the emerging threads of connection demonstrated the power of women when we team up and celebrate each other. The changes we seek may not have come to life in just one afternoon, but I believe everyone, including myself, walked away knowing that life is a team sport, that we do not have to do this thing called life alone, and that our spirit has a resilience that we can tap into that will propel us further, even more than we can see on our own.
A huge thank you to the amazing 15 mentors who showed up to share and encourage, both on the stage and sitting side by side with the young women all afternoon. Finally, a special thank you to the attendees, hard-working athletes who choose every day to pursue their passion with a determination to win both on the course and in life.