Serena Williams will play in the Wimbledon final. Really and truly!!! The girl is on fire, beating Julia Goerges on Thursday 6-2, 6-4.

"This was not inevitable for me," Williams said after the match, which took 70 minutes to complete. "I had a difficult birth, multiple surgeries, I almost didn't make it. There was a time I could barely walk to my mailbox. It's such a pleasure and a joy [to be in the final] because less than a year ago, I was going through so much."

Serena suffered life-threatening pulmonary embolisms after birthing her daughter, Olympia, via C-section. The delivery and post-pregnancy health issues put her on bed rest for weeks afterward and her recovery made training impossible until late 2017.

A few weeks ago the French Open, Williams was forced to withdraw over a pulled muscle that left her unable to raise her arm to serve. Heading for England, something changed. In the weeks ahead of Wimbledon, Serena posted a daily countdown of her mindset, focus and mantras.

"In case no one's told you yet today, I want to remind you that you are greater than your circumstances," she wrote two days out, as if aware she was building up to something worth commemorating.

And now we are here, with Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam champion looking for her eighth Wimbledon title. Women -- and especially moms worldwide -- are joined in celebrating the GOAT and her "step by step" message.

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