Lisa Leslie

Lisa Leslie is a great achiever and has overcome some of the toughest obstacles in her life. She grew up in Hawthrone, California and was born on July 7, 1972. Her mother, Christine Leslie, raised Lisa by herself after her father left them when she was only four. She is 6 feet, 5 inches tall and is weighing in at 179 lbs. Lisa currently plays for the Los Angeles Sparks and is an awesome center.

Her main ambitions in life were to become a sportscaster and an actress. She entered Morningside High School in Inglewood and went out for the basketball team. In 1989, she made the U.S.A. high schools All-American’s first team and competed with the U.S. Women’s Junior World Championship team. Lisa scored 101 points out of 102 of the teams total points in a game against South Torrance High at half time in 1990. If she continued playing in that game, she wouldn’t have beaten basketball legend, Cheryl Miller, record for high school points scored in a game. She entered the Olympics in 1996 and was on the U.S. Woman’s team and won the gold medal. Her average points total in all of their 8 games they played was 156.

Her younger years as a child was difficult. She learned all about hard work and desire to do things. She struggled watching her 6 foot 3” tall mother, Christine, work as a cross-country truck driver. Her mother was way to busy, so when Lisa was in school, she would be cared by a baby-sitter or her aunt. With her mother gone, Lisa began to become more mature and she was starting to feel self-confidence in herself. As Lisa was growing up, Christine was watching her daughter progress in her life and learned many important life lessons.

She got signed to Wilhelmina Models agency and has been featured in Vogue. She also modeled for Armani, Tommy Hilfiger, Gigi Hunter and Anne Klein. Becoming an actress was another interest of Lisa’s. She was a guest star for Moesha, Sister, Sister, Hangtime, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and the Weakest Link. Fashion is another thing that she’s into. Lisa is into designing athletic type clothes.

Lisa Leslie is a hero to me because she inspires me and others, especially girls, to fulfill your dreams and to stay focused with what you’ve been taught. You shouldn’t take things for granted and should be thankful for what kind of gift you have to offer. Lisa’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and she has been a spokesperson breast cancer awareness and prevention. She says that her mother is her hero “because she’s tall, beautiful, strong, positive, and loving.”