Lance Cohen

Woodbridge, CT (USA)
Role(s):
Founder/Owner/Principal

1988

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Location: Woodbridge
Industry: Sports/Recreation
Year Founded: 2014
Number Employees: 1-10 people
Business Stage: Growth (not profitable)
Entity Type: Not Incorporated
Description: I want to thank you for taking the time to read through my story. I am originally from South Africa and I am a professional tennis player. My passion has always been to become one of the top professional tennis players in the world, I have been playing tennis for as long as I can remember, my love for the game will always keep me involved in the sport but I hope that I can keep enjoying competing for many years to come. There have been many times where I have lost track of time being on the tennis court perfecting my game. My parents and my brother have always supported me and have done everything that they could to make sure that I was able to be on the tennis court growing up. After high school, my brother and I were invited to Canada by a well-known coach to pursue our dreams of climbing to the top in tennis. We faced many financial struggles and broken promises upon our arrival, which led to me sleeping in our tennis club for a few months. The hurdles I faced during my time in Canada only spurred me to work even harder to achieve my dreams. My determination, along with the tremendous support of my brother, took me to the top of Canada's rankings. Unfortunately I sustained a serious hand injury that forced me to have surgery and therapy back home in South Africa. What happened during this time was a life changing event for me that I will never forget. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and my brother was diagnosed with colon cancer. I was in the middle of a tournament when I received a call to come to the hospital because the cancer had spread to his liver and grown so big that he was struggling to breath. I flew in that day and I stayed up with him all night, doing my best to keep him as comfortable as possible until he passed away early the next morning.  Witnessing what my brother went through and how hard he fought, gives me a deeper appreciation for life and a greater will to succeed. He was my biggest supporter, always making sure I was able to move forward and achieve my dreams.  After arriving in the US, I won the wild card event for the ATP 250 Delray Beach Open (where a number of top 20 ATP ranked players compete). My record on the ITF/ATP circuit is now 40-30 in singles and 8-12 in doubles matches. Even with my extremely limited tournament schedule, I was able to achieve ATP world rankings in singles and doubles. I have trained with former and current top 10 ATP players - namely Wesley Moodie, (former #8) in the world and Milos Raonic (currently #3). We played a few practice sets where we alternated winning sets. On tour, I have defeated several current and former top players in the world, including Christopher Haggard (former #19), Brian Battistone (former #88), and Antal Van Der Duim (currently ranked #193). I have consistently beaten established ATP players, and I truly believe that a big reason they are ranked so high is that they have the financial means to be able to train, travel and compete on a regular basis.  The financial struggles are mounting. The majority of my winnings are allocated toward managing my diabetes. Believe it or not, the greatest struggle I face as a diabetic is the expense. This disease makes it extremely difficult to fund the life I want to live. However, even without the burden of medical bills, it is extremely difficult to fund an ideal athletic career by oneself in the early stages. Your support will give me the opportunity to compete more frequently and seek proper training and coaching while maintaining good health. I am asking for your support to get me to where I believe I belong, with the best in the world. Once I am able to start traveling and training full-time, I have no doubt I will rise in the ranks and earn significantly more prize money. I never fail to minimize expenses to the best of my ability by playing pro-ams, stringing rackets and doing other little things to keep me going. I always find the most affordable means of travel, even if it means taking the bus cross-country. I home cook all of my meals, and spend money only on bare essentials. I will not be someone who stops trying to make it because it is too hard for others, I love the competition and being pushed to the limit because that is what gets you to the top. Tennis is my passion and I believe I will make it to the top but I need your help to get there.