(FILA GLOBAL) – FILA named Andrew Fenty the recipient of the 2015 R.E.A.C.H. Award, at the GEICO Champions Celebration, the Junior Tennis Champions Center's (JTCC) annual gala. The event took place on Thursday, May 14, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., hosted by Swedish Ambassador Björn Lyrvall and Swedish Grand Slam Champion Mats Wilander, and held at the Ambassador’s Residence in Washington, D.C. This special celebration is the primary annual fundraiser of the JTCC, benefitting its community outreach initiative, Game On! The evening also honored International Tennis Hall of Fame CEO Todd Martin, who was ranked No. 4 on the ATP Tour, and former Senator J. Bennett Johnston, for their contributions to the game of tennis.
The R.E.A.C.H. Award was first given out in 2002 to the WTA Tour's "Comeback Kid," Jennifer Capriati, following her inspirational return to tennis. FILA was inspired by Capriati's amazing accomplishments on-court, as well as by her grace, compassion and humility off-court. R.E.A.C.H. stands for Realizing Extraordinary Accomplishments with Courage and Humility. Fenty too, exhibits those qualities.
FILA understands the importance of recognizing Champions Program players not only for their on-court accomplishments, but also for being a great role model for other players. Mentoring younger players as well as excelling in the classroom are important in the selection process.
In June of last year, during his off-court training during a regional tournament, Fenty fell and awkwardly landed on his hand and broke his playing arm. This injury halted his momentum and kept him out of tennis through the Fall. In the Fall of 2014, Andrew started training and competing again and soon realized the bodily effects of having taken off such a span of time, particularly the atrophy of his playing arm which is critical to tennis players. It's no exaggeration to say that his confidence took as big of a hit during this period as did his body.
In the face of this setback, Andrew was persistent and resilient and overcame this tough Fall season through much hard work and determination. He reached the round of 16 of the Boys 14 and Under Orange Bowl, unseeded, and has continued to build on this experience and develop his game. He recently reached the finals of the Boys 16 and Under International Spring Championships in Carson, and is looking to ride his momentum into the Summer national season.