Vanessa Bryant vows to keep legacy of Kobe and daughter Gianna alive
"It was important to Kobe, exemplified by Gigi and something that Natalia, Bianka, Capri and I will always fight for," she said.
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (KABC) -- Vanessa Bryant is leading the way as a woman in sports, and she's doing it with her family in mind.
The widow of NBA star Kobe Bryant received the "Be Your Own Champion Award" Tuesday at an event in Beverly Hills for her leadership through the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation.
"It was important to Kobe, exemplified by Gigi and something that Natalia, Bianka, Capri and I will always fight for," said Bryant.
The organization was founded to create a positive impact for underserved child athletes, in honor of her husband and daughter Gianna "Gigi" Bryant, who died in the helicopter crash that also killed seven others in 2020.
"That's why in our camps, the girls and boys run drills together. They play on the same team together," said Bryant.
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Other women in sports who were honored included Los Angeles Sparks senior vice president Natalie White, EAG Sports management CEO Denise White and Terri Hines, executive vice president of communications at FOX Sports.
The event was first created by Latonya Story in 2019.
"I wanted to create an event where women who work in sports behind the scenes could come and celebrate and be seen," said Story.
The sports brunch has run in conjunction with the Super Bowl. Story has had a successful career that spans more than 20 years, starting out as just one of a few women in the sports business.
When she says the point is to be seen, she knows who's watching.
"Being able to say to younger people, you know, 'I could be a publicist, I could be a manager, I could be an executive producer, an owner, you could see the possibilities, but most of all, you see the fellowship," she said.
She said seeing Vanessa Bryant doing the work quietly is part of a purpose much greater.
One that she knows all too well.
Story's son, Sterling, died two years ago of cancer.
"I just want to believe that in those last moments, that he knew he was loved," she said.
Story told ABC7 he was misdiagnosed, so they found out when it was too late. She said Sterling loved sports, loved the L.A. Rams, and loved his family. Story learned at his service just how proud she made him, and she was proud of him too.
"I hope that he sees it, and that he feels it, and that he's telling everybody, 'Look at what my mom is doing,'" said Story.
The Sports Power Brunch has a charitable beneficiary every year with this year's being the American Cancer Society.
