This is an excerpt from a book currently being written by Kevin James. It covers Martina's speech at
a special charity event benefiting Save the Rhino International & Wildlifeline in December.


The following day Martina made an appearance at a special charity motivational talk for the Save the Rhino 
Foundation. She spoke about her career, leaving Czechoslovakia, realizing she was burnt out in 1989 and
being helped by Billie Jean King to come back into the game. She gamely took questions from the floor and 
was well and truly flummoxed when someone asked her, because you've changed your image so frequently, which 
of your past looks makes you cringe?

All Martina could do was shake her head in amazement. "Good question. I've never had that before," she said 
to widespread audience laughter. And then she went on to tell the story of having her hair permed before an 
interview on the Dinah Shorre show in the 1970's. "Not a good look - not with my hair. Took two years to 
grow out!"

Someone else asked her who she had felt was difficult to play. She mentioned Kathy Jordan as a person whose 
negative attitude would often cross the net to plague you. And then there was Hana Mandlikova. "She would do 
a double fault and would have this sly fox grin on her face, saying like, 'I meant to do that!'" Martina 
recounted, her face showing that even to this day Mandlikova amazed her. And let's face it, who hadn't she 
amazed.

Looking healthier and more natural than you could imagine, Martina smiled and swept out of the art décor 
splendor of Claridges, still making an effort to change the world.