Always a winner: quality time with last year's golf and tennis champions.

Geraldine Tigner: Finding Her Focus

"You never beat golf, you just play golf," says Geraldine Tigner, the 2005 Black Enterprise Golf Challenge champion. She views the sport as a microcosm of life. "It teaches you to stay in the moment and just flow with it. It has really helped me to be more focused in my life overall," she says. But golf wasn't always her first love.

Ever since she was a child, Tigner has been an avid tennis player and skier. It wasn't until she was in her late 30s that she hit a backswing for the first time. Persuaded by a close friend, Tigner decided to play a round. One round led to another. "I was totally and instantly hooked," she says. Now in her 50s, Tigner lives in a golf community and practices four or five times per week, as her schedule allows. The Detroit-based executive is principal of a human resources consulting firm and owner of a corporate identity branding company.

Tigner is also president of an African American women's golf club that was founded more than 30 years ago. The 28-member club hosts practices and competitive events every Saturday from May through August. "In fact, the woman who got me into golf was a member of the club," Tigner acknowledges. "She and I still play. I've had really wonderful mentors, male and female."

Whether traveling for business or leisure, Tigner tries to make sure she has a few hours to spend on a local course. Each year, she embarks on four days of relaxation and networking by recording ShotLink measurements at the U.S. Woman's Open. After spending years assigning ball coordinates as a laser operator, Tigner embraced a change of pace and decided to become a walking scorer. In her new role, she collects data relating to the location and time of the shot.

Despite winning several local and amateur tournaments, the golf champion continues to take lessons. She says they're beneficial for novices and pros alike. "There's a lot to be learned about technique before you even swing the golf club. You need to understand the physical dynamics of the club," Tigner explains. "Every swing is potentially different. Under pressure, even the pros come outside of their game plan. Sometimes they aren't focused enough to stick to the techniques they've learned through years and years of playing. You've got to be able to calm yourself and concentrate on the shot before you at that moment."

"Golf is a lifelong pursuit," Tigner says. "It's not something you will ever conquer. It's something to be enjoyed. If you approach it from that stand point, you will excel at it and enjoy it."

Naiema Thomas: Doubles Dynamo

Naiema Thomas, last year's Golf & Tennis Challenge Ladies Tennis winner took home the coveted trophy after besting some of the world's most competitive players in a series of round robin matches, and she hopes to add another trophy to her collection this year.

Thomas, 35, is the manager of emerging markets and customer segmentation for Choice Hotels International. "I specifically work toward bringing more African Americans into our systems as franchisees," she explains. The Michigan native divides her time between Atlanta, her hometown, and Washington, D.C., the headquarters of Choice Hotels.

Thomas has definitely made a mark as one of the few African American females with a managerial position in the hospitality industry. She explains what she loves about her job with the same passion and enthusiasm with which she talks about tennis: "I get to meet some incredible people--top business leaders, African American entrepreneurs. Helping make a difference in the lodging industry by helping African Americans become lodging pioneers--that's very rewarding."

Although her job causes her to spend days or weeks away from home, Thomas practices as often as she can. "Since moving back to Atlanta, I have been playing at least twice per week. If I'm traveling, I play once per week," she says. "There are two places that I typically go to. Here in Atlanta there are very nice public courts. In D.C., I belong to a tennis club, Alpha. It's all doubles and mixed doubles." Thomas also tees up for a round of golf in her spare time.

As a child, Thomas was initially reluctant to hit the courts. "My mother actually had to twist my arm to get me to play. She was a tennis player for a number of years," Thomas recalls. "I took ballet. Ballet was so much more subjective. I grew up taking summer tennis lessons. It was very different. If you won, you won. If you lost, you lost."

Attracted by the competitive nature of tennis, Thomas grew to love the sport, especially doubles. While attending Norfolk State University, she was recruited to play on the men's tennis team. A women's team was established later. Now an avid player, Thomas says "tennis has afforded me an opportunity to meet some great people and it's great exercise."

Richard Brown: One to Watch

If you haven't heard of Richard Brown by now, you will soon. For the past year, the Golf & Tennis Men's Tennis Champion has been fulfilling his dream of becoming a star athlete and the ultimate winner of any of the Grand Slam tournaments.

Brown has accomplished more in his 23 years of living than some do in a lifetime. He is currently playing in the Davis Cup for Trinidad and Tobago, his mom's homeland. His playing schedule includes between two and three tournaments each month, along with frequent traveling and grueling practices. "The training is killing me," he admits. "I train from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., and 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. every day except weekends. I don't train on the weekends. I do a light practice on Saturday and Sunday, so it's like a day oft but not really."

In 1992, Brown and his dad decided to play tennis together, recreationally. Neither expected Brown to love it as much as he did. Growing up in Virginia, then Del Ray Beach, Florida, the dedicated athlete played a variety of sports, including basketball, football, soccer, and baseball. In fact, Brown was a star player on his high school's golf team. Upon graduating from college last May, he decided to devote his time to his favorite sport: tennis. Now, occasionally on the weekends, he'll visit a course with his brother, who happens to be a golfer.

For Brown, it is impossible to pick just one reason he loves tennis. But he does like its intellectual and aggressive nature. "It's an individual sport. You can control everything. Your mental state--you have to stay calm. It's all based on you. It's very competitive." When asked what advice he would give to those who want to follow in his footsteps, he replies, "You have to really focus and really work. If you want to get to the top level, it takes really long hours and hard work. But it's a fun sport and it will keep you in shape. It's something you actually enjoy."

Brown regrets that he will be unable to participate in the competition at this year's Golf & Tennis Challenge because it conflicts with his tournament schedule. "I would like to compete again this year, but it's hard for me. I'm in the beginning of my career, I'm trying to get it off the ground so I'll have to play a lot of tournaments right away. I need to try to get up in the rankings again." With his natural talent, enthusiasm, and determination, it looks like Brown's dream is definitely within reach.