Today, we STOP in our TRACTS for this conversation\u2026with a black man!\xa0 A man who has been in my life for over 20 years and impacted it in ways that continue to unfold\u2026
Steve Anderson was born in Louisville, Kentucky in the 60s \u2013 which is considered one of the most dangerous cities on earth.\xa0 When his Dad was shot by his \u201csupposed\u201d friend when he was just 9yrs old, anger smoldered within him, \u201chow could my Mom not press charges? How could the other man, shot in the mouth, live; and my Dad, shot in the leg -\xa0 die?\u201d\xa0 So many inbuilt experiences of growing up Black permeated his body before he moved to LA to start life on his own at 21 \u2013 but quickly, he began his decades-long navigation of the globe starting in Switzerland.
Picked up by two budding beach volleyball players from Australia, he would move to Perth to execute the dream of winning Olympic medals \u2013 which he did with a Bronze in \u201996 and a Gold in 2000 w Nat Cook & Kerri Pottharst.\xa0 Marrying his Swiss Aussie wife in 2000, he remained Nat\u2019s coach for 16yrs.
During that time, he would head up coaching programs in Bali and Venuatu and leave legacies for athletes and organizations in those countries over the next 10yrs.\xa0 My Canadian beach team would rise to our best ever World finish of 7th place under his guidance and the things I learned with this man can only be described as \u201czen tutelage\u201d!
Steve became instrumental in my life for being able to ask and express things that sometimes, it felt like, there was no one else to really, be comfortable asking.\xa0 My Mom married my Black Dad in 1973 (when Interracial marriage was only legalized in the US in 1967 \u2013 6yrs prior) and many family members refused to come to that wedding. My Mom and Dad hailed from one of the most racially charged cities in Canada, being on the Atlantic Coast where many slave boats dropped off \u201ccargo\u201d (and I say it like that bc that\u2019s how it was back then) in the 1800s before heading down to the US cities.\xa0 There is even a city in Atlantic Canada called \u201cAfric-ville\u201d bc of its dense population of blacks.\xa0 My last name of Maxwell is actually Scottish bc my great-great-great GrandFather was a cook on the ship where every black person took the Masters name of Maxwell!
In 2013, Steve left to head up the whole of Team Canada BVP with his now 5yr old son and soon to be new wife Alicia. He would lead that country to #1 in the world within a short 2 year period.
Recently, he was asked by his suburb, aptly named \u201cThe Beaches\u201d in Toronto to give the speech for their #BlackLivesMatter march. He begins our conversation with his emotional share of his life experience as a Black Global Citizen of this planet we call earth!
Contact Steve:
\xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0Facebook: @SteveAndo1
\xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0Website: www.steveandersongold.com
\xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0 \xa0LinkedIn: @steve-anderson
Go to http://www.bit.ly/InTheGamePodcast to become part of this growing community of DREAMERS!\xa0