There’s something powerful about watching someone truly embrace joy. If you caught Super Bowl LIX, you might have seen Serena Williams on stage part of the choreography, dancing with pure abandon, radiating the kind of happiness that comes from being exactly where you’re meant to be. This wasn’t just a celebratory dance – it was a victory dance, one earned through decades of battles both on and off the court. Most people will think about Kendrick Lamar vs Drake and all the back stories that entail. But Serena’s participation was so much more than that! 

As someone who’s navigated my own journey through depression and physical setbacks, watching Serena’s evolution from a tennis phenomenon to this moment of pure joy hits different. I remember lying in a hospital bed in 2021, my lumbar spine injury forcing me to confront my own mortality. My sister Jasmin, who was part of my recovery team (thank God), would come visit just to help me walk around and cross the streets. A humbling experience to say the least. In those moments, when your body betrays you, you learn what true resilience means. My story, while different in scale, shares a thread with Serena’s – the understanding that our greatest challenges often lead to unexpected transformations.

Serena’s journey started on those infamous courts in Compton, where broken glass littered the ground and local gang members stood watch over practice sessions. She was laying the foundation for what would become one of the most remarkable careers in sports history. But what makes her story truly extraordinary isn’t just the 23 Grand Slam titles – it’s the battles she fought when the cameras weren’t rolling.

In 2011, at the peak of her career, Serena faced her first life-threatening challenge with pulmonary embolism. Blood clots in her lungs nearly ended not just her career, but her life. She fought back, returned to the court, and reclaimed her position at the top of the sport. But life had more tests in store.

The 2017 birth of her daughter Olympia should have been purely joyous. Instead, it turned into a harrowing fight for survival. Post-C-section complications led to another pulmonary embolism, followed by six days of uncertainty. “I almost died giving birth to my daughter,” she later revealed, using her platform to highlight the maternal health crisis, especially for Black women in America.

What happened next defines the essence of willpower. Just six months after nearly losing her life, Serena was back on the court. Within a year, she reached four Grand Slam finals. While juggling motherhood and managing a chronic health condition, she continued to compete at the highest level. This wasn’t just about tennis anymore – it was about showing what’s possible when you refuse to let adversity define your story.

I think about this when I reflect on my own recovery journey. At 19, a shoulder injury changed my athletic trajectory. Then the spine injury in 2021 brought new challenges. Like Serena, I had to learn that recovery isn’t just about getting back to who you were – it’s about becoming something new, something stronger. There’s a humility in having to relearn basic movements, but there’s also profound power in discovering what you’re truly capable of.

Watching Serena dance at the Super Bowl reminded me of something crucial: our greatest victories often come after our hardest battles. That dance wasn’t just a celebration – it was liberation. It was the joy of someone who’s fought through physical pain, public scrutiny, and personal challenges, emerging not just intact but triumphant.

These days, when I work with people dealing with their own struggles, I often point to Serena’s example. Not because everyone needs to win Grand Slams, but because her journey shows us that setbacks – whether they’re health challenges, career obstacles, or personal trials – don’t have to be the end of our story. They can be the beginning of a new chapter.

That’s what I saw in that Super Bowl moment – not just fanfare of the halftime show, but rather an athlete who dominated her sport and a woman who’s learned to embrace joy after walking through fire. It’s a reminder that true resilience isn’t about never falling; it’s about how you rise, adapt, and eventually, find your way back to dancing.

In the end, maybe that’s what willpower really looks like: not just the strength to overcome obstacles, but the courage to keep embracing life’s joy, even after life has shown you its toughest sides. Serena’s dance was more than a moment of celebration – it was a testament to the power of the human spirit.