“We see the scars, but not the inner wounds,” says tennis icon and Ambassador of luxury watchmaker, Longines , Stefanie “Steffi” Graf, about the work of her Children for Tomorrow Foundation.
“Putting light on those inner wounds” as the remedy to allow children to heal from the trauma of war and conflict is exactly what her non-profit foundation, founded in 1998, concentrates on doing. The foundation is noted for implementing and developing projects to support children who have been traumatized and displaced by war or other crises.
Graf formed the foundation after seeing first-hand the impact war and conflict have on children who were in an outpatient centre in Hamburg, Germany. The children’s specialized care needs – to enable growth and development from a place of pain to one of comfort and happiness – are among the objectives of the Foundation.
Graf was recently in St. Maarten for the opening of the first flagship Longines Boutique in the Caribbean and she took some time out to not only talk about the sought after horologe brand she is an ambassador for, but also how she’s using her time and effort to aid children who would have otherwise been left without hope.
For Graf, the winner of 22 Grand Slam singles titles, the plight of refugees is not new or a recent issue brought to the fore due to the massive influx of refugees into Europe and in particular her country of birth – Germany. “Children for Tomorrow” has been seeing to the needs of young refugees who have experienced some of the most traumatic circumstances for almost two decades.
Graf has an emotional connection with the work of her foundation. Just before heading to St. Maarten, she was in Hamburg, Germany, the base of her foundation’s treatment centre, for a working visit. Talking about the trip, she recalled how Children for Tomorrow was formed. After hearing from a German professor about the challenges faced by children fleeing from or displaced by conflict, and the unseen imprint trauma leaves on them, Graf visited his outpatient centre.
“I saw their emotions and their pain. It was truly heart breaking,” she said. The heartbreak that would have made some walk away to find something more appealing to replace the tough memory of human suffering spurred Graf’s very humanitarian side and led to Children for Tomorrow. That organization has since helped thousands of children grow from their pain and heal unseen scars to become active and happy members of society.
On her recent Hamburg trip, Graf stopped in on one of Children for Tomorrow’s art classes. One young man happily told her about the internship he was starting soon and another proudly spoke to her in “very good German” which he had learnt in some eight weeks. “He talked about the different countries he had walked through to get to Germany and some of the trauma he’d experienced,” she said, adding that what inspired her most was the young man’s determination to make a better life.
Graf’s elation about the success of these young men was very visible as telling the stories brought an intense sparkle to her eyes and a very broad smile to her face. What’s more and even further reaching for Children for Tomorrow are those, who have been put on the path of healing and success, returning to the centre. They return not for treatment, but to spend time, share successes and give encouragement.
The flood of more than one million refugees into Germany from Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East in the past months call on all resources to care for and assist them. Children for Tomorrow has answered the call as it has done since its inception, but like many specialized and general care centres, it is “at capacity,” said Graf.
Being at capacity and having a lengthy waiting list are not slowing Graf and Children for Tomorrow down. The foundation has recently gotten two new therapists to tend to the needs of its young charges who stay at the centre between 18 months and two years, depending on the severity of the case. “We can’t help as many children as we would like, but we are striving to,” said the tennis champ.
Making time
Graf has been connected with Swiss watchmaking brand Longines as its Ambassador of Elegance since 2008. The famous watch brand shares many of the same values as Stefanie and her husband, tennis great Andre Agassi (a Longines Ambassador of Elegance since 2007): excellence, performance, and elegance.
Longines supports The Andre Agassi Foundation for Education and Graf’s Children for Tomorrow Foundation.
“I am honoured to represent such an excellent Swiss watch brand,” commented Graf. “Longines has a long established reputation for quality and elegance. We share many values and a strong commitment to children in need. I appreciate my partnership with Longines for many reasons including the ways it benefits my foundation Children for Tomorrow.”
For the woman who was ranked World No. 1 by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) for a record 377 total weeks – the longest period for any player (man or woman) – Longines’ commitment to precision, form and technique blends well with her dedication to her sport of choice.
Asked what brings Longines and tennis together for her, Graf said she has witnessed the craftsmanship, attention to every tiny detail and precision that go into creating a Longines timepiece. “I have seen the different stages of making the watch in Switzerland. The craftsmen have passion and are committed to quality, the same as are needed with tennis,” she said. Why is Longines the brand for her? “It is an elegant brand,” Graf said.
Island Girl
Graf had last been on St. Maarten 22 years ago. Her comparison of the St. Maarten of then and country she recently experienced briefly was: “It has drastically grown.”
She enjoyed the island from its surrounding azure waters and commented about using the Simpson Bay Causeway. “One of my first experiences on this trip was driving over your beautiful bridge with lights that change colour,” the tennis icon said.
Sharing a bit of her trip from 22 years ago, Graf said the most memorable parts were landing at Princess Juliana International Airport SXM’s short airstrip. It was quite a thrill as was happening by chance onto Maho Beach at the end of that same runway later in that trip. “We ended up there by accident and experienced jets passing overhead,” she said.
Graf said her brief taste of the Dutch Caribbean country for the Longines Boutique opening has definitely convinced her to consider a return trip for a holiday with her family.
Reported for WEEKender by Alita Singh
