Vanessa Bryant and Kobe Bryant with two of their daughters, Natalia and Gianna, in 2018.Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Vanessa Bryantis continuing to advocate for girls in sports, two years after the death ofKobe Bryantand daughterGianna.
While giving her acceptance speech as she was honored with the Be Your Own Champion Award for her work with herMamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation, Vanessa said, “As a mother of four strong girls, I care deeply about not only leveling the playing field for girls, but elevating it.”
“I think it’s important to elevate the way both girls and boys view each other as teammates versus competitors at a young age.”
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Gianna and Kobe Bryant in 2019.Ethan Miller/Getty
In her speech, Vanessa also spoke about how young athletes, regardless of gender, play on the same teams and “run drills together” at her foundation’s camps.
“If they’re taught how toshare common goals and compete togetherto achieve them, then those skills will not only help them grow as children but it will also help them grow in business and future relationships as adults,” she explained.
Her goal, Vanessa said, is “to provide young girls with opportunities to showcase their talents and to dominate in their fields.”
On Jan. 26, 2020, Vanessa lost both her husband and teenage daughter, Gianna, in a helicopter crash that also killed seven others. Kobe was 41 and Gianna was 13 at the time of their deaths.
Vanessaopened up about life after lossin an interview with PEOPLE in March 2021, admitting at the time, “I can’t say that I’m strong every day. I can’t say that there aren’t days when I feel like I can’t survive to the next.”
“This pain is unimaginable [but] you justhave to get up and push forward,” she said. “Lying in bed crying isn’t going to change the fact that my family will never be the same again. But getting out of bed and pushing forward is going to make the day better for my girls and for me. So that’s what I do.”
source: people.com
