Venus Williams Opens Up About Her Wellness Journey In New Book | The View

>> Whoopi: OKAY, WITH SEVEN GRAND SLAM TITLES AND FOUR OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALS, TENNIS SUPERSTAR VENUS WILLIAMS IS ONE OF THE MOST DOMINATING ATHLETES IN SPORTS HISTORY. NOW SHE'S LETTING YOU IN ON HER WINNING FORMULA ON AND OFF THE COURT IN HER NEW BOOK, "STRIVE: 8 STEPS TO FIND YOUR AWESOME." PLEASE WELCOME SOMEONE WHO IS FABULOUSLY AWESOME, VENUS WILLIAMS. [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] ♪ [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] >> Whoopi: I MEAN, OKAY, DID YOU DESIGN THIS? >> NO, NO, NO. >> Whoopi: THIS LOOKS LIKE YOU. >> THANK YOU. >> Whoopi: LOVING THE SHOES. >> THANK YOU. I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THESE AMAZING LADIES. >> Whoopi: YOU LOOK AMAZING. >> Sunny: YEAH. [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] >> Whoopi: SO, WE JUST GOT THROUGH THE U.S. OPEN. >> YEAH. >> Whoopi: YOU'VE WON THE U.S. OPEN TWICE YOURSELF. >> YEAH. >> Whoopi: WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THIS WEEKEND'S FINALS? YOU KNOW, YOU HAD LOTS OF AMERICANS IN THERE. IT WAS REALLY SOMETHING. >> YEAH, WE WERE SO CLOSE KNOCKING AT THE DOOR, RIGHT? IT WAS SO EXCITING TO WATCH, AND I MEAN I'M HOPING THAT AN AMERICAN WOULD TAKE HOME A TITLE. LAST YEAR WE HAD AN AMERICAN, COCO, THAT WAS SO EXCITING. IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN. DID YOU GUYS MAKE IT TO THE OPEN? >> Sunny: YES. >> Alyssa: I WATCHED. >> I WATCHED IT TOO BUT VERY EXCITING. [ LAUGHTER ] >> Sunny: IT WAS VERY EXCITING. WELL, YOU ARE AN ICON, PERIOD, RIGHT? YOU WERE THE FIRST BLACK FEMALE TENNIS PLAYER TO REACH THE NUMBER ONE RANKING IN THE OPEN ERA, AND YOU CONTINUE TO INSPIRE JUST A WHOLE NEW GENERATION OF PLAYERS, ESPECIALLY 2023 U.S. OPEN CHAMP COCO GAUFF. I MEAN, SHE ADORES YOU. SHE RECENTLY TWEETED THIS THROWBACK IMAGE OF HER AT 8 YEARS OLD IN THE STANDS WATCHING YOU PLAY IN THE 2012 U.S. OPEN. >> AMAZING. >> Sunny: YES. [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] >> THAT'S SO CUTE. >> Sunny: AND IT WENT VIRAL. HOW DOES IT FEEL FOR YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE INSPIRED JUST GENERATIONS OF ATHLETES, NOT ONLY IN TENNIS BUT IN SPORTS IN GENERAL? >> YEAH, IT'S SURREAL, TO BE HONEST, BECAUSE STARTING OUT I JUST WANTED TO PLAY WIMBLEDON MYSELF WHEN I WAS THAT AGE. I WAS TRYING TO GET MYSELF TO WIMBLEDON OR THE U.S. OPEN HAVING BIG DREAMS, BUT IN THAT PROCESS, I DIDN'T REALIZE THE DREAMS WOULD BE BIGGER THAN THAT. SO IT'S DEFINITELY REALLY SURREAL, AND IT'S JUST IF YOU DO SOMETHING POSITIVE, YOU NEVER KNOW WHO IS WATCHING, AND IT'S BEEN LIKE ICING ON THE CAKE, BECAUSE I HAD NEVER DREAMED THAT ANY OF THAT COULD HAPPEN. >> Sunny: WOW. >> Alyssa: ONE OF THE OTHER MANY ICONIC THINGS TO BE PART OF, BARBIE'S 65th ANNIVERSARY MATTEL CREATED A ONE OF A KIND VENUS WILLIAMS BARBIE, PART OF THE SPECIAL COLLECTION DEDICATED -- >> MY TWIN. [ APPLAUSE ] >> Alyssa: -- TO SPORTS. >> Sunny: IT'S GOOD. IT'S GOOD. >> Alyssa: WHAT DID THAT MEAN TO YOU, BECAUSE YOU'RE ALSO KNOWN FOR YOUR FASHION, AS WELL AS YOUR INCREDIBLE ATHLETICISM. >> YEAH, THAT'S LIKE, WOW, YOU KNOW. I MADE IT TOO LATE TO BE IN THE BARBIE MOVIE SO -- [ LAUGHTER ] BUT ACTUALLY I SEND LITTLE VENUS TO DO ALL THE HARD WORK. I GET TO COME TO "THE VIEW" WITH YOU GUYS. SHE DOES ALL THE OTHER STUFF. I INHERITED SOMEONE TO DO THE TOUGH STUFF. >> Sara: BODY DOUBLE. >> BODY DOUBLE, YEAH. >> Alyssa: WHILE WE'RE ON TAX, TENNISCORE HAD A MOMENT WITH THE "CHALLENGERS" MOVIE AND ZENDAYA'S FASHION AND WENT TO THE PREMIERE. WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF HER ON-SCREEN TENNIS PLAYING? >> OH, MY GOSH. IT WAS AMAZING TO HAVE A MOVIE ABOUT TENNIS. OF COURSE, I'M BIASED. LOVE THE TENNIS. >> Whoopi: YEAH. >> IT WAS AMAZING TO HAVE THAT TOLD IN A STORY THAT INVOLVED MORE THAN TENNIS. SO IT WAS GREAT TO MESH THAT IN AND TO, LIKE, EVERYDAY LIFE, LOVE LIFE, WHICH IS WHAT WE ALL EXPERIENCE, AND SOMETIMES IT GETS MESSY LIKE THE MOVIE. SO, IT WAS A VERY COOL MOVIE. SO PROUD OF ZENDAYA AND THE STORY SHE TOLD WAS GREAT. >> Sara: YOU SPENT YEARS AS AN ADVOCATE FOR PAY EQUITY FOR WOMEN IN SPORTS AND BEYOND, AND IN 2007 YOU BECAME THE FIRST WOMEN'S CHAMPION AT WIMBLEDON TO RECEIVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF PRIZE MONEY AS YOUR MALE COUNTERPART. [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] >> YEAH, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. >> Sara: BUT, OF COURSE, YOU SAY AND THERE IS A LONG WAY TO GO. WHAT DO YOU SAY ABOUT THAT? >> I'M ACTUALLY JUST FOCUSED ON THE POSITIVE, BECAUSE WHEN YOU FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE, YOU'RE ABLE TO DO MORE, AND IT'S EXCITING TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN WOMEN'S SPORTS, AND WE ALL JUST SAW THE OLYMPICS, AND, MY GOODNESS, WHAT A DISPLAY, AND NOW WE HAVE SOLD OUT CROWDS LIKE NEW YORK LIBERTY, WOMEN'S BASKETBALL, AND NOW WE HAVE WOMEN'S HOCKEY. [ APPLAUSE ] IT'S AMAZING. >> Whoopi: YES. >> AND BACK WHEN I STARTED PLAYING, LIKE TENNIS WAS KIND OF ONE OF THE ONLY OPTIONS, TENNIS AND GOLF FOR WOMEN. YOU COULD PLAY SOME OTHER SPORTS, BUT YOU HAD TO TRAIN ALL DAY AND THEN WORK THE NIGHT SHIFT, AND SO IT'S AMAZING TO SEE WOMEN NOW HAVING THAT CHANCE TO MAKE A CAREER OUT OF IT AND TO BE ABLE TO JUST GO BIG, AND IT'S JUST LONG OVERDUE. IT'S AMAZING. I'M JUST LIKE SUCH A PROPONENT OF THAT. >> Sara: THAT'S A BROS MOVE. WHAT A GREAT ACCOLADE. >> THANK YOU. >> Sunny: WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT YOUR NEW BOOK, "STRIVE." IT IS FANTASTIC. >> THANK YOU. >> Sunny: IT'S A GUIDE, I THINK, TO HELP PEOPLE IMPROVE THEIR ON LESSONS THAT YOU'VE LEARNED, RIGHT? >> YES. >> Sunny: WHY DID YOU WANT TO WRITE IT, AND WHY DID YOU WRITE IT IN THE WAY YOU DID? >> I WANTED TO WRITE IT BECAUSE I WANTED TO SHARE EVERYTHING I LEARNED ON THE COURT. AS AN ATHLETE, YOU LEARN SO MUCH WITHOUT SOMETIMES KNOWING. I STARTED AT 14 YEARS OLD AND STARTED PLAYING AT 4, SO YOU LEARN HOW TO PERSEVERE, YOU LEARN HOW TO BE DISCIPLINED AND BOUNCE BACK. YOU LEARN HOW TO FAIL. YOU LEARN HOW TO SUCCEED, ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS, AND YOU'RE DOING THAT AT THE SAME TIME WHILE TAKING CARE OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH, BECAUSE YOUR MIND HAS TO BE CLEAR TO PLAY YOUR BEST MATCH. TAKING CARE OF HOPEFULLY YOUR RELATIONSHIPS. IF YOUR RELATIONSHIPS ARE IN TROUBLE WITH YOUR FAMILY, YOUR FRIENDS, YOURSELF, THEN IT'S HARD TO BE YOUR BEST ON THE COURT. HOW YOU EAT, HOW YOU MOVE, AND I JUST WANTED TO TELL THIS STORY OF HOW TO BE WELL HOLISTICALLY, NOT JUST SAY, oh, GO EAT WELL, THE REST OF YOUR LIFE IS GREAT, OR GO WORK OUT AND RUN A MILE, AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE FINE. YOU MAY NOT BE. WHAT ELSE DO YOU HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF? SO I WANTED TO TELL THAT STORY. AS ATHLETES, WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF ALL THAT SO THAT WAY WE CAN HOPEFULLY GET TO THOSE CHAMPIONSHIPS. >> Sunny: IT'S GOING TO HELP SO MANY PEOPLE, AND YOU WRITE IN THE BOOK ABOUT BEING DIAGNOSED -- I DIDN'T KNOW THIS -- WITH AN INCURABLE AUTOIMMUNE DISORDER IN 2011 AND THE HEALTH CHALLENGES THAT YOU FACED AS AN ATHLETE LIKE FATIGUE AND JOINT PAIN. >> YEAH. >> Sunny: RIGHT? WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED IN YOUR WELLNESS JOURNEY, AND WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR THOSE LIVING WITH CHRONIC PAIN, BECAUSE THAT IS A REAL THING. >> YES, IT IS. I LEARNED TO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR MYSELF, FIRST OF ALL, AND I LEARNED ALSO THE POWER OF APPRECIATION, ESPECIALLY IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT IT'S HARD TO SAY, YEAH, I APPRECIATE THIS, RIGHT? AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALK ABOUT IN THE BOOK TOO, EIGHT STEPS TO AWESOME, BEING ABLE TO APPRECIATE NO MATTER WHAT IT IS, AND I HAVE TO APPRECIATE WHATEVER I COULD GIVE. I WENT FROM BEING A WORLD CLASS ATHLETE TO, LIKE, SITTING ON THE COUCH AND LIKE OUT OF BREATH JUST SITTING THERE, AND THAT'S NOT ANYTHING THAT I WAS USED TO, AND IT WAS HARD TO ACCEPT, BECAUSE I WAS JUST USED TO GETTING WHATEVER I WANT AS LONG AS I WORKED HARD ENOUGH, SO I LEARNED TO APPRECIATE WHAT I COULD ACCOMPLISH THAT DAY INSTEAD OF BEING FOCUSED ON WHAT I COULDN'T ACCOMPLISH, AND IT WASN'T WHAT I HAD DONE BEFORE, AND JUST LIKE, OKAY, I DID THIS TODAY. >> Whoopi: YEAH. >> AND THAT WAS LIKE A THING I HAD TO FOCUS ON EVERY DAY, LIKE EVERY DAY GO BACK TO, LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT I ACCOMPLISHED. >> Sunny: YOU ARE SO -- >> THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ] >> Sunny: -- THOUGHTFUL. >> Whoopi: YOU ARE SO MAGNIFICENT, YOU KNOW. >> THANK YOU. >> Whoopi: JUST ATHLETES ALL YOU AND WHAT YOU'VE DONE, AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE YOU HAVE TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY, MANY LITTLE KIDS WATCHING A LOT OF WOMEN, WATCHING THINKING, OH, MY GOD, I COULD NEVER DO -- OH, WELL, SHE'S DONE IT. SHE'S DOING IT, SO YOU ARE A BEACON. THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET TO. YOU KNOW, YOU GET TO BE A CERTAIN AGE, WORDS JUST MEANDER OUT OF YOUR MOUTH. [ LAUGHTER ] YOU KNOW? SO OUR THANKS TO VENUS WILLIAMS. HER BOOK, "STRIVE: 8 STEPS TO FIND YOUR AWESOME," IS OUT TODAY, AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BUY IT, SCAN THE QR CODE THAT'S HERE, BUT EVERYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE, YOU'RE GOING HOME WITH IT.