The Road to Tokyo Travels from Hempstead through Las Vegas and Orlando

MetroSports Magazine congratulates Estee Ackerman, a 17-year old table tennis player from West Hempstead, New York, on her Gold Medal performance at the US Open Table Tennis Championship recently concluded in Orlando, Florida. Gathered at the Orlando County Convention Center were 558 athletes from 29 nations competing in the 6-day event. Ackerman took home the Gold in the Women’s Singles Hardbat division and partnered with Linda Shu of Texas to capture Gold in the Under-20 Girls Doubles competition. This followed her stellar performance at the 2017 US Open in Las Vegas where she earned four Gold and one Silver medal. In upcoming competitions, Ackerman will be fighting to earn a well-deserved spot on the U.S. Olympic Table Tennis Team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Photo Credit: Warren Rosenberg www.nyspg.com

A senior at the Yeshiva University High School for Girls in Hollis, Queens, Ackerman is also a member of the Girls Varsity Basketball Team and is not intimidated by the prospect of competing against the world’s best. As she stated when interviewed as a 14-year old by the publication, New York Jewish Week, “Put in the time and effort. Dream Big.” After all, what is there to worry about when, as an 11-year old, she vanquished tennis star Rafael Nadal in an exhibition table tennis match held in Grand Central Terminal and the following year accepted the challenge of the celebrity chef to, “Beat Bobby Flay”, which she handily did on a 2014 segment of the Rachel Ray Show.

MetroSports Magazine has had the pleasure of watching Estee compete in tournaments at the Westchester Table Tennis Center and we look forward to continuing to follow her progress.