Venus Williams wants to inspire health and wellness with new book

Looking for some new inspiration to achieve your health and wellness goals? How about some personal insights from a former Hologic WTA Tour World No.1? Venus Williams has recently released a new book that she hopes can help fans do just that.

The book, titled Strive, which was released on Sept. 10, chronicles what the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion says are "eight "tiny but essential tenets can help turn smart choices into habits." Health and wellness has been pivotal to Williams' life during her career as a professional athlete, a journey that became more complex with her 2011 diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease, and her new published venture reflects her unwavering commitment towards using her platform to positively impact future generations.

"Tennis has always been more than just a sport for me -- it’s been my greatest teacher," Williams wrote on social media to celebrate the book's launch. "Winning a match isn’t just about hitting aces or perfect volleys, it’s about courage, mental strength, and finding balance in everything you do.

"In Strive, I share the lessons I’ve learned on and off the court, and my hope is that it inspires you to reflect on your journey and apply those same lessons to your own goals."

"The victories, setbacks, and perseverance it takes to show up day after day as an athlete have shaped who I am," Williams added. "My hope is that as you read Strive, you’ll find inspiration to apply these same principles to your own life, and embrace each challenge with the same grit and determination."

The book is Williams' second venture in publishing; her first effort, Come to Win, was released in 2010 and co-authored by Kelly Carter, and similarly was geared towards uplifting, motivating and teaching readers lessons that could apply to their own lives to achieve success. The eight mantras of health that Williams details in her new book are observe, appreciate, balance, enrich, soothe, believe and inspire.

"You know, a lot of people would write a biography, and I would write a book about health and wellness," she added in a recent interview with NPR. "And also, the story of my life as an athlete and kind of the lessons I've learned, but in the lens of wellness, too.

"In this book, too, I don't just share all the positive things. I share the mistakes that I've made, too: what I learned from, not to do again. I call it, I did this. I made this mistake so you don't have to."

Williams celebrated the launch of the book with an exclusive event in New York City during the US Open, at a glitzy event at Swarowski's flagship store on Fifth Avenue. Part of Williams' press tour for the book included a cover shoot for the October issue of Harper's Bazaar in the UK, as well as visits to Good Morning America and The View on the morning television circuit.

"I want to help people have fun being healthy," she told Harper's Bazaar writer Lottie Lumsden. "It shouldn’t be hard, or a horrible journey."

Strive is available now wherever books are sold.