Martina Navratilova to Receive 7th Annual Award at The Kate

OLD SAYBROOK, CT – Tennis legend Martina Navratilova will receive the 7th annual Spirit of Katharine Hepburn Award at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center’s Gala, titled SHE’S GOT GAME on Saturday, August 27, 2022. Affectionately known as the Kate, the Center presents the award each year to an individual who embodies the spirit, independence, and character of the legendary actress.

The Gala is the non-profit arts organization’s largest fund raiser and SHE’S GOT GAME will celebrate two women who achieved greatness as game changers in their fields – Katharine Hepburn and Martina Navratilova. Over a spectacular career that has spanned four decades, Martina won an unprecedented 59 Grand Slam titles, including a record 9 Wimbledon singles championships, 167 singles and 177 doubles championships. Her decades-long rivalry with Chris Evert is considered one of the greatest in sports history, with Martina sporting a 43-37 advantage.

But there is far more. Martina played tennis with a singular energy, passion, and emotion. To this day, Martina – more than anyone else – is known for taking women’s tennis to an entirely new level with her speed, aggression, and fitness.
Martina provides her articulate, intelligent and outspoken commentary to the Tennis Channel's audience during its coverage of the Grand Slams. She is an ambassador for the WTA and is a regular commentator for the BBC and Tennis Channel at Wimbledon. Martina also works for Amazon Prime Video and worked for them for the first time at Flushing Meadows for the US Open 2019. In September 2019 she also starred in the Netflix comedy drama "The Politician." She spends as much time as she can with her family in Miami, and often finds herself traveling the world, speaking at events, playing in numerous exhibition matches, and tirelessly promoting all of the issues that are close to her heart.
Katharine Hepburn was her idol and had been since Martina saw “The African Queen” as a young girl in Prague. She admired Miss Hepburn’s strength and courage and was impressed that Kate was a fine tennis player, as well. The two became good friends. “It’s quite an honor,” said Navratilova. “Katharine Hepburn was ahead of her time. She was a pioneer and an inspiration to me.” In 1983, following her win at Wimbledon, Martina gifted Miss Hepburn her tennis racquet.

Following the award presentation, Olympic Correspondent and tennis analyst Mary Carillo will interview Martina about her career and friendship with Hepburn. Like, Martina, Mary’s favorite Hepburn movie is “The African Queen,” which she has watched approximately 300 times.

Mary Carillo has spent nearly four decades in the world of sports broadcasting. For NBC she has covered fifteen Olympic Games, Wimbledons, French Opens, Westminster Kennel Club Dog Shows and National Dog Shows (a favorite assignment). At HBO Mary is the longest running correspondent on Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel, earning two Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award, and two additional Peabody Awards for her work on the HBO documentaries “Billie Jean King: Portrait of A Pioneer,” and “Dare To Compete: The Struggle Of Women In Sport.” She has written two books on tennis, one of them with Martina, and unlike Martina’s 59 Grand Slam titles, Mary’s only major win, the 1977 French Open Mixed Doubles, was with childhood friend John McEnroe. In 2018 she was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall Of Fame.

The August 27th Gala takes place at 5:30 pm at the Kate, 300 Main Street in Old Saybrook and includes cocktails, gourmet food stations, and desserts prepared by Max Catering & Events and Highclere Castle Gin. A special performance by the duo Goodnight Moonshine, featuring Molly Venter from Red Molly, will be followed by a live auction and the presentation to Miss Navratilova. The award is a graceful statuette in the likeness of Hepburn sitting on a dock in Stratford, Connecticut sculpted by artist Kimberly Monson.

SHE’S GOT GAME is presented by Whelen Engineering Company and Electric Boat. Corporate sponsors include Bank of America Private Bank, Dominion Energy, Gengras Motor Cars, Kainen Escalera & McHale PC, Liberty Bank, Possidento Therrien Electrical Contractors LLC, Saybrook Wealth Group, The Shops at Mohegan Sun, MJP Wealth Advisors, Guilford Savings Bank, and MahoneySabol.

For additional information or tickets, visit www.thekate.org or call 860-510-0453.