Venus Williams Helps Kids Get Active

With tennis season starting in two months, Venus Williams is on the road to getting back in shape. After being ranked No. 3 in the world earlier this year, the athlete injured her left knee causing her to miss the last part of the 2010 season.

While taking time off to heal, she's also concentrating on promoting EA SPORTS Active 2, the latest interactive fitness program for Wii, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Getting kids moving is near to Williams' heart. She is also an official spokesperson for the Center for Disease Control's VERB Campaign, a multimedia effort to address the need to increase and maintain physical activity among youths nine to 13.

That's fit caught up with Venus at the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club in Bronx, New York to talk recuperation and her efforts to get kids in shape.

That's Fit: How are you staying in shape during your break from tennis?
Venus Williams: I've been getting fired up for the new season, earlier than I usually do. All my rehab is culminating in helping me with my regular training schedule. The next season starts in January, so that's huge on my list. I've been on the road a lot, too, so I've been working out at the gym: on the bike, lifting weights, doing light cardio. I'm also starting to try to run again.

TF: How far are you running?
VW: For one minute at a time! I run one minute, then take a break. I'm coming back slowly, coming off the injury. It's humbling to be injured.

TF: How else are you spending your time?
VW: I'm always doing design. I'm always designing clothes and doing interior design.

TF: How did you get involved with EA SPORTS Active 2?
VW: It's the perfect opportunity to really represent something I believe in, something that gets people moving and staying fit. Everyone has the opportunity to challenge themselves physically. And most importantly to live a healthy lifestyle by staying active. I think it does a great job with that.

TF: Do you do EA at home to stay in shape at home on the off-season?
VW: Yeah, I do. It's fun. It's fun to just get a workout on it. I just created a new gym in my house with TVs, and everyone's going to be doing it there. I love now how it's hands-free, and you can really just move and workout without any kind of thing that you have to hold onto. You don't need any other equipment.

TF: Obviously, this game is aimed at helping kids become more active. What helped you when you when you were a child? What pushed you to have physical fitness be a part of your life?
VW: My parents. I think it's [the game] a great way for parents to get into it themselves. To be role models, and to workout and be active, and act like professional sports coaches. Parents can say hey, this is a thing we can all do together as a the family. Or maybe it's the other way around, and the kids can be the ones to say to the parents, hey I want that, let's all do that together.

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