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Andrea Jaeger (born 4 June 1965) in Chicago, Illinois, is a former
professional tennis player. She turned pro at the age of 14, and quickly
rose in the rankings to No. 2 in the world, with victories over Chris Evert
and Martina Navratilova. However, a major shoulder injury at the age of 19
ended her career. Seeing this career-ending injury as a door to a spiritual
awakening, she went on to college and received a degree in theology.
Afterwards, she used her winnings from tennis to create the
Silver Lining Foundation in 1990. Located in Aspen, Colorado, the organization
transports groups young cancer patients, to Aspen, for a week of support
and activities, including horseback riding and white water rafting. The foundation,
which spends $2.3 million USD annually on its programs, also provides money
for reunions, family camp outs, college scholarships, medical internships,
and other programs for children who cannot travel.
The organization has other powerful backers; both in the
sports world, and elsewhere. The first contributor was John McEnroe. Many
high-profile celebrities are also involved, including Andre Agassi, Pete
Sampras, and David Robinson. Kevin Costner regularly takes children fishing
at his nearby ranch, and Cindy Crawford, who is a close friend of Jaeger
and lost a brother to leukemia, helps children cope with the changes that
cancer can bring to one's appearance.
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