Giving the same speech to her students, Dana was like a drill seargent dealing with a group of high school mischiefs. They didn’t have time to think about fear because they were in the presence of a celebrity. This was Dana Fairbanks; the Mercedes/Benz Challenge Champion, a national tennis player, a cancer survivor, the Suburu spokesmodel, and a woman who came back from the dead. Even a person who never followed tennis couldn’t help but be in awe at what he or she was seeing and hearing.

Dana said, ‘All right, people. This is the procedure. You came here to learn tennis and that is what we are gonna do. My name is Dana Fairbanks. I was a tennis player for most of my life. I gave the best in I did and I expect the same from all of you. There are no limits to what you can do! You can drive a car, go to school, become a working class stiff, or become the highest pencil pusher on this side of the Sahara. I am not here to sign autographs or to talk about my career, my sex life, or my bout with cancer. I am here to build your muscles and that is what we are going to do! The discipline you achieve in physical exercise is the foundation for discipline in life! Is any of this getting through?’

Everybody answered, ‘Yes, ma’am!’

Dana could tell she’d made it throught the easy part: establishing who’s the boss. Now came the hard part: getting the students to follow the leader. For starters, Dana took them upstairs for 4 laps around the track. They got the choices of walking, jogging, or both. That way, their muscles didn’t cramp up when they slowed down. After the track, they went back downstairs.

Dana said, ‘You use your legs as much as your arms when you play. You might find yourself in a situation where you’re either close to the net and then way in the back on the opposite corner. So it’s just as important to keep yourself on your toes.’

Dana had a racket provided by the gym. She’d rather have her own but she didn’t expect to be working today; just paperwork and procedures. It wasn’t like King Arthur being handed Excalibur but it was fine. Her members were getting some water while Dana was giving herself the same pep talk from the locker: I am Dana Fairbanks. I am not a fuck up and I am not afraid. Her hand grip was tight on the racket when she turned around facing her students.