Serena Williams says motherhood remains her top priority, no matter how busy life gets.
During a live taping of IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson, the tennis icon spoke with former First Lady Michelle Obama about how she balances her career and business ventures while raising her kids.
“I really try to be a present parent,” Serena shared. “Sometimes that’s hard with the lives that we live, but I try to be extremely present.”
The 44-year-old, who shares daughters Olympia,8, and Adira,2, with her husband Alexis Ohanian, says she rarely spends long periods away from them.
“I’m never gone more than 24 hours, ever,” she explained. “I didn’t leave Olympia until she was 6 for 24 hours. That may have been a little extreme, but that’s who I am.”
Serena said being present for her daughters matters deeply to her because she wants to be actively involved in raising them and teaching them the kind of values she hopes they carry with them as they grow up.
“For me, I show up as much as I can every single day for the girls,” she said. “I feel like they mean the most to me, and I feel they need me. I want to raise my children. I’m a person that’s raising my kids and teaching them how I want them to live and how I want them to be.”
The former athlete often shares family photos featuring husband Alexis Ohanian and their daughters. In a recent snapshot, Serena posed beside Olympia and Adira while wearing a blue printed dress. Olympia flashed a peace sign in a floral dress while little Adira copied her older sister with her own tiny pose.
Another photo showed the family of four together, with Ohanian smiling as he held Adira.
“I don’t share these moments often, but being their mom is my favorite place to be,” Serena wrote in the caption. “I’m with them 363 out of 365 days a year — and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. This weekend was everything.”
