After I was fortunate enough to achieve my dreams on the court, I

“After I was fortunate enough to achieve my dreams on the court, I have done my best to, in turn, help young people achieve theirs.” Thus spoke Evonne Goolagong Cawley, the graceful champion of tennis and the luminous spirit of her people. In these humble words lies a truth that transcends sport, fame, and time — the sacred rhythm of achievement and generosity, of fulfillment and service. She reminds us that every dream realized carries within it a new duty: to lift others toward the light that once guided us.

Born in a small Australian town, the daughter of Indigenous parents, Evonne’s path was not paved with ease. She rose from modest beginnings to stand among the greatest athletes of her generation, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, admired not only for her skill, but for her poise, her humility, and her unwavering grace. Yet, it is not her victories alone that define her legacy, but what she chose to do after the applause faded. For when she says she seeks to help young people achieve their dreams, she speaks from the deep well of one who has walked the long road herself — who knows the struggle of reaching upward through the shadows of doubt and the weight of circumstance.

Her words echo an ancient wisdom: that success is not complete until it becomes a bridge for others. The heroes of old understood this. The warrior who wins the battle must then teach the next generation how to defend their home; the scholar who deciphers truth must then share it so others may see. So too did Evonne Goolagong Cawley transform her triumph into mentorship, founding programs that opened doors for Indigenous children across Australia — giving them not only racquets and courts, but hope, purpose, and identity. Her life thus became an unbroken circle: from dreamer, to achiever, to guide.

Consider, for example, the story of Arthur Ashe, another champion of both sport and humanity. Like Goolagong Cawley, Ashe reached the heights of tennis only to discover that victory’s truest meaning lay in using his platform to inspire others. After his playing days, he devoted himself to education, equality, and global health. He knew, as she does, that fame without service is hollow, and that the real measure of greatness is not how high we climb, but how many we lift. Both athletes, in their grace, revealed the noblest truth of human achievement: that every dream fulfilled must give birth to new dreams in others.

When Evonne speaks of being “fortunate enough to achieve my dreams,” she does not boast — she gives thanks. She acknowledges the forces beyond her own will: the mentors who believed in her, the family who supported her, the opportunities that came like blessings from fate. Gratitude, then, becomes the root of her responsibility. For when life grants us abundance, it also entrusts us with stewardship — the duty to nurture, to teach, to create space for others to grow. The wise have always known this: that the highest use of power is not domination, but empowerment.

And so, her teaching extends beyond the courts. To the artist, she says: share your craft, and let others find their voice. To the scholar: teach those who seek the same light of knowledge. To the laborer: guide the apprentice with patience. To all, she whispers: Your dream is not yours alone — it belongs to the future. The circle of greatness is complete only when what we have earned becomes a gift.

Let this, then, be your lesson: to achieve is human, but to uplift is divine. Seek your dreams with passion, yes — but remember that the summit is not the end of the journey. Once you stand upon your mountain, reach your hand down to those still climbing. Help them find their footing, for in doing so, you honor not only your own success but the sacred continuity of human progress.

Thus, through her words and deeds, Evonne Goolagong Cawley reminds us that the truest champion is not the one who wins the game, but the one who changes the lives of those who follow. In the end, it is not trophies or titles that endure, but the seeds of hope we plant in the hearts of others. For only when our dreams awaken dreams in others can we say, as she does, that we have truly fulfilled our purpose — and left behind a legacy that time cannot erase.