Ginger Sabia has game and grit. Her first career goal, to play professional tennis, came from whacking thousands of tennis balls cross-court and down the line in her native Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In the nascent years of women’s professional sports, Ginger traveled the country as a top-ranked player and fierce competitor. However, a series of devastating injuries forced her to consider other possibilities. In a stroke of good fortune for our community, Ginger met and married a native Philadelphian, and immediately embraced the challenge of creating a new career, home, and family.

Professionally, Ginger worked for many years as an actuarial analyst and United States Tennis Association executive. As the mother of two active sons, her schedule was jam packed with sports, school, work, and her church. However, Ginger and her husband felt that they were in a position to make additional deep and personal contributions to their community. They decided to become foster parents.

Integrating foster children into a family is an incredibly complicated process. Ginger, her husband, and her sons welcomed children who were victims of abuse, babies born with drug addiction, and kids with major learning differences. All of them found a warm place at the table in Wyndmoor, including structure, guidance, care, and concern. Two of them became Ginger’s daughters through formal adoption. Interestingly, all four of Ginger’s children became Division 1 athletes, proving that she provides both “nature” and “nurture” to everyone in her orbit.

Ginger Sabia believes that service must be a major component in her life and is a mainstay at St. Philip Neri Roman Catholic Church as a Eucharistic Minister and Lector. It is this commitment to service that motivated her to join Impact100 Philadelphia this year. As a member of the Family Focus Area Committee, she is reading grant proposals with a special perspective. Ginger has the experience to recognize skills and talent, and the wisdom and compassion to acknowledge hard work and perseverance. She understands the capricious nature of luck, and the determination required to meet problems head-on and tackle the next challenge. Impact100 Philadelphia is lucky to have her as one of our newest members!