Andrea was born in Chicago in 1965. Growing up, she was a rising star as a tennis player. In high school, she was the top-ranked player in America for those under the age of 18. At age 15, she was the youngest player ever to be qualified to compete at Wimbledon at that time.
Tennis successes came easy to her. In her career, she beat many of the top women pros in Grand Slam events. But tennis was never her passion. Rather than focus her life on tennis, she was more interested in helping others. When in a tournament city, she would visit local hospitals to give hope to children with cancer.
When she was 19, she suffered a shoulder injury. For her that was a sign that better things were ahead for her. She decided to go to college and pursue a degree in Theology and Ministry.
After graduation, she took her tennis earnings and created the Silver Lining Foundation. The mission of the Foundation was to provide long-term care to children with cancer and other needs. She was able to recruit other athletes to contribute.
Andrea was recognized for her service by the Jefferson Awards program. Throughout her life after tennis, she has been an inspiration for other athletes to join with her.
Her faith has remained a large part of her life. In 2006, she became an Anglican Dominican nun in the Episcopal Church.
Andrea Yeager is an example of how one’s passion needs to become their way of living even when their talent may provide a more comfortable life. For Andrea, providing hope to others was her calling even though she could have made a fortune playing tennis.
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“Passion is the fire, enthusiasm and courage that an individual feels when she is doing something she loves while accomplishing worthy ends, something that satisfies her deepest needs.” – Stephen R. Covey