MIAMI BLOG: A Chat with Liezel Huber

FROM THE SONY ERICSSON OPEN – Being here at the Sony Ericsson Open has been a great experience, but getting to share my experiences with you has been even better.

This morning I had a chance to sit down with Grand Slam doubles champion Liezel Huber for an one-on-one interview about becoming a citizen of the United States, her work with Liezel’s Cause, her renewed partnership with Cara Black, and her goals of competing at the 2008 Olympics for her new country.

Liezel, can you explain how Liezel’s Cause came into being?
Well, I was out with a knee injury at the time, and the hurricane [Katrina] happened. Of course, we felt helpless. We felt so blessed having a 5 bedroom house, and a roof over our heads and food on the table, and these people had nothing. So we decided we needed to do something.

First thing I contacted my church and we opened it as a shelter and things went from there. At the end of the day we’ve helped twenty-one families. Its just turned into something huge which I could never have imagined.

Is this a long term program for families affected by Hurricane Katrina or a temporary assistance program?
No. Of course, it’s long term. We were hoping it would be temporary, but as its turned out, we still have families in trailers and families lives that haven’t been what it was before, so that’s the unfortunate thing. But, it is a good thing for us that we had raised enough funds that we could help them. The tough thing is you want them to be on their own and be successful and regain what they had before, but it just hasn’t worked out like that. So, we are still helping families.

How many families has your foundation “adopted” or been able to help?
We’ve had over 20 families. And the reason we didn’t have more – there was more, but it was only my husband and myself, so we kind of had to say we could only help so many families. But their families have grown since then. There have been a couple more babies since then; some families were only two [people], some families came with seventeen, so there was quite a big variety. But they’re all part of us now.

What kind of doors have been opened for you and Liezel’s Cause because of your status as a professional tennis player?
Nothing really. We asked the Bush/Clinton fund for a grant. We just needed $6,000 to help three more families and we were denied. If it wasn’t for myself – people trusting me and having a good relationship with some players and people trusting me just in general – then I think it would have been tough to raise this kind of money. But it’s been really difficult. But the rewarding thing is by people seeing my husband and I doing these things now, it encourages other players to help causes in their native countries too.

Is it okay to ask you how much money you’ve raised so far?
We’ve raised about $45,000 which is not much in the scheme of things, but when you’re budgeting really well, and people are donating furniture and clothes, and we give all that money 100% to them. You know at the end of the day $45,000, you can do a lot with it.

God has a purpose in everything. Would you say that this was a mixed blessing that came from your knee injury?
Yes, I think I was very mad over my knee injury, [I] was very upset. And I couldn’t understand why this happened to me, but you always know there’s a reason for everything. And the reason was that I could help people. If I wasn’t there maybe these people would’ve got help somewhere else, but I feel good to know that I could help these people. And in turn now maybe somewhere down the road, they will help somebody else that’s in need also. So, I wouldn’t have it any other way. If you asked me that at first I would say, no I’d like my knee back. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Obviously, your knee is much better. You are ranked #4 in the doubles again. Congratulations on today’s win. How does it feel to be back playing with your old partner Cara Black?
It’s been tough because after my knee injury she didn’t want to play together anymore. That was something else that I had to deal with. But in time, we forgive and forget and go on. And, this was another thing with the knee injury, our relationship and our foundation is much stronger now. That probably is the reason for our success.

Any goals for this year with Cara? Any thought of a repeat at Wimbledon?
We’re on a 22-match winning streak right now and we’re going for our 5th title on Sunday. We’d like to obviously just give it our best, and when we give it our best – you can not guarantee anything – but when we give it our best, it’s our best shot. In everything I do in life I just try and give it my best, and then go with it from there.

You recently announced that you’ll become a nationalized citizen in the United States in the next few months.
Yes. That’s very exciting and I can’t wait. I want to play in the Olympics for the States.

What was your motivation for that [becoming a US citizen] and will you be competing for the USA at Beijing?
Yes. I just feel so much like this is home and everything I’ve experienced in the last 15 years here. This is totally home, and it wouldn’t make sense for me not to play for them [Team USA] and to take on U.S. citizenship. I have unfortunately had to notify South Africa and let them know of my intentions to play for the U.S. This year I’ll be getting my citizenship, which I’m very excited about.

I’ve got to ask you what was the response you got from South Africa?
No, I didn’t get any response. It was a great disappointment, I’m sure, on their side because we could be a middle contender. But, this is where my heart is and I’d like to end my career playing for the U.S.

How can your fans and others help support your work and donate to your organization?
Well, obviously we’d love people to support us [Liezel's Cause], not just the hurricane families. We’re starting to build a school in South Africa, and we have eighty kids to a classroom right now and it’s too many. We’re going to build an assembly hall, we’re going to add on classrooms, and we’re going to add teachers. We’re going to start fundraising for that and 100% goes to the cause. And obviously [I give] out of my own pocket too.

We’d like people to donate to Liezel’s Cause. If people don’t have the money to donate, I just encourage people to volunteer. Give an hour, give some of your time because if we can all help each other or other people then it makes for a better place.

Is there a website I can mention?
Yes. It’s: www.Liezelscause.com.

You’ve gotten the attention of a lot of people. Look at this picture; Sir Richard Branson presenting you with the 2006 WTA Humanitarian of the Year Award.
That’s the ironic thing of doing something like this [starting Liezel's Cause]; it wasn’t to publicize me or do anything for me. Yes, I was given an award which was really cool. It wasn’t like I deserved it. I could do what I could at that time, and maybe like I said, maybe somebody else [can get] motivated by it and then they can do the same thing.

Folks, believe it or not, the people she’s helping do not even know that she is a professional tennis player. Although, I bet they think she is a star anyway.

Ciao.

(Stephanie Stepp is a veteran sports reporter and is covering the Sony Ericsson Open live from Miami, Florida for On the Baseline Tennis News)