Naomi Osaka Read by Megalyn Echikunwoke

Once upon a time, there was a girl from Japan with arms so strong she could serve a tennis ball at more than 120 miles per hour. Her name is Naomi Osaka - a powerful professional tennis player who has taken the sport by storm and has become an advocate for mental health. Naomi has been ranked No. 1 by the Women's Tennis Association and is the first Asian player to hold the top ranking in singles. About the Narrator Megalyn Echikunwoke is an actor, writer singer and dancer. Discovered at a high school theater camp by a Hollywood manager, she got her start in the industry at 14. She has a striking presence with an undeniable talent through her range of portrayals of characters in television, film and the theater. Though she was raised by a widowed, single mother who worked as a registered nurse on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona, she is of Igbo-Nigerian, German, Irish and Scandinavian descent. She is also the granddaughter of a Igbo tribal leader which technically makes her African royalty. Inspired by her many cultural influences, Megalyn believes in the power of art and storytelling to expose injustice, shift culture and heal communities.  Credits This podcast is a production of Rebel Girls and is based on the book series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. This episode was produced by Camille Stennis. Sound design and mixing by Camille Stennis, Lu Miranda and Craig Billmeir. This episode was written by Jestine Ware and fact checked by Joe Rhatigan. Executive Producer is Katie Sprenger. Haley Dapkus is our Production Manager. Original theme music was composed and performed by Elettra Bargiacchi. A big thanks to the whole Rebel Girls team who make this show possible! For more, visit rebelgirls.com. And if you like what you heard, don’t forget to rate and review this episode, and share it with your friends! Until next time, stay REBEL!