Dear Washington: Vanessa Wong
UW Athletic Communications
7/26/2022
Dear Washington…
A letter to UW from Washington Women's Tennis' Vanessa Wong
Dear Washington,
Thinking back on our past 5 years together has brought back so many incredible memories.
Way back in 2016, Robin came to Toronto to share with me her vision for this team and goals she wanted to achieve for this program. Of course, I was flattered by how much she believed in the part I would play in this vision; but more importantly, the passion she had for the program and development of her players as people is what drew me to play for the University of Washington and play for something much greater than myself. And yet, as much as she was able to convince me to join her on this journey, I had no idea what to expect.
I found a willingness to embrace discomfort and focus on the process. That was when I started realizing what it really takes to be a student-athlete at Washington.
From early lifts, where we walked through the dark mornings, crawling to class with the sorest legs after a workout, and surviving multiple beep tests (barely); all the way to keeping up with my team’s GPA, fighting to stay awake in class after hours of training, and trying not to look too lost in lectures most times - my attitude shifted, and I found a willingness to embrace discomfort and focus on the process. That was when I started realizing what it really takes to be a student-athlete at Washington.
As I started adjusting to this new life, I also had to find my part on this team, and more importantly, experience tennis as a team sport. Playing with the W on my chest reignited my passion for tennis and made me fall in love with the sport again. Over the past years, I have had the chance to compete my heart out and scream at the top of my lungs while playing next to some of my best friends. (And if you’ve ever been to a tennis match, you would understand what I mean when I say screaming). We’ve fought and played for one another, rushed on courts together and celebrated wins together, but we’ve also battled through adversity, injuries, and cried in many locker rooms together. Tennis has taught me a lot about setbacks, but my teammates taught me and showed me how to bounce back from those setbacks together. And these shared experiences of highs and lows, on and off the court have given me special memories and relationships that will be with me forever.
My experience cannot be summed up by just my student-athlete and team experience, it extends way beyond, to the support staff and incredible people in this athletic department. From the facility managers, event coordinators, incredible donors, Amy Wooten, to academic advisors, athletic trainers, strength coaches, and our coaches, each person has played a significant role in helping all of us graduate and be here today, leaving with so much more than what we came with.
To Georgia, thank you for being a role model and helping me navigate through college and life. And to Robin, thank you for believing in me from the first day we met 6 years ago, and completely changing my life. I am extremely lucky to have been a part of your team.
From the facility managers, event coordinators, incredible donors, Amy Wooten, to academic advisors, athletic trainers, strength coaches, and our coaches, each person has played a significant role in helping all of us graduate and be here today, leaving with so much more than what we came with.
Thank you, Washington, for equipping me with skills and memories that I will have for the rest of my life, thank you for surrounding me with the most supportive and caring people, and thank you for giving me the best chapter of my life so far.
Go Dawgs!
Vanessa Wong