Jo-Ann Strauss is an American professional tennis player, who is currently married to Canadian national Mark Appleyard. She began playing tennis at an early age of six while attending public school in Hawaii. Jo-Ann attended Welles High School in nearby Kapiolani, Hawaii where she became a dominant tennis player on the tennis court while also excelling in academics. She then went on to play her two years of college tennis at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, earning All-American status in the process. After graduating, she joined the competitive circuit in international tournaments, winning four of her first five matches, including the U.S. Women’s National Team Tennis title.
Jo-Ann has played numerous sports throughout her lifetime, including golf, basketball, softball, track and field, as well as ski and sailing. As a child, she was a fan of the legendary Wilt Chamberlain and often dressed up as the 7-foot tall forward for her baseball games. Following her family’s move to Kapiolani, Jo-Ann pursued her passion for the outdoors, participating in several different outdoor sports, such as kayaking and rock climbing, throughout much of her youth.
The question of whether Jo-Ann is a “natural” athlete or not has been addressed by her doctor, Dr. James Dobson, author of The Five Key Metabolic Systems. According to Dr. Dobson, “She is a powerful athlete in all sports but probably excels in the endurance sports.” As far as comparisons between Jo-Ann’s height and that of other models are concerned, “The consensus is that Jo-Ann has a very good body image,” though she acknowledges that “her physical dimensions do not necessarily match up with those of her sports partners.” This statement seems to be substantiated by the fact that she appears to be quite adept at keeping her shape, even in spite of her considerable weight.