• by Steve Ellwanger , August 31, 2022

Tennis star Venus Williams is serving up more access to outdoor activities for people in Black communities in a partnership with Clif Bar and the nonprofit organization Outdoor Afro.

The goal is to provide opportunities to participate in activities “otherwise deemed inaccessible or unwelcoming for economic, social or emotional reasons,” Clif vice president of brands Jodi Olson tells Marketing Daily.

Led by the Clif Corps community service program in conjunction with groups like the National Park Service, events will include such activities as hiking, paddleboarding and kayaking—with gear and energy bars provided by Clif.

“Venus has spoken to the lack of access and equity she experienced growing up as an aspiring tennis champion, so the mission of Clif Corps is one that is deeply personal to her,” says Olson.

In this spot, Williams and Outdoor Afro founder Rue Mapp chat about finding joy outdoors, the beauty of nature and the origin of Mapp’s organization while exploring Historic Virginia Key Beach Park in Florida.

Among this month’s events are hiking through Red Mountain Park in Birmingham, Alabama and standup paddleboarding at Fish Lake Regional Park in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In addition to Williams, Clif athlete partners Sunisa Lee and Daniel Romanchuk will help to drive awareness for access to the outdoors and sports.

Lee is a gymnast and Team USA member who was a team silver medalist and uneven bars bronze medalist at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Romanchuk is a wheelchair racer who won gold in the men's 400-meter race and bronze in the men's marathon at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo.