What has Title IX allowed you to accomplish as a female athlete?
I think first and foremost, Title IX has helped me know my rights…and that I am owed the same opportunities as my male counterparts. It gives me the opportunity to pursue what I love. I wouldn’t be able to play soccer and accomplish the things I have accomplished without Title IX.
What’s something you’re passionate about outside of athletics?
I’m passionate about working out, hiking and being outdoors. I grew up in a pretty state and so going outdoors, working out, hiking and doing all those things have been something that’s really near and dear to my heart.
It’s a family tradition, to go outdoors and do things. And that’s been an escape for me outside of sports, when sports become stressful or too much.
How has Women In Flight impacted you?
When I was in high school, I wanted to start something like Women In Flight, because I thought it was such an amazing opportunity. Since I grew up close to the U of O, it was cool that Women In Flight wanted to help young athletes. They were always willing to talk to me and give me advice, even though I wasn’t one of their athletes at the time. And I couldn’t provide anything for them in return.
When people provide you with something, even when you have nothing to give them in return, that’s the most amazing thing to me. This has always been an organization and a program that’s been willing to give way more than they’ve ever wanted to receive in return. I think it speaks to the character of the people that run it and also the purpose of the program as a whole.
What influenced your involvement in sports and soccer in particular?
My mom and dad were both college athletes, so it was just what you did in my family. My mom was a soccer player and a coach. I took my first steps on the soccer field which sounds so cliche, but it’s actually what happened. So it’s been in my blood, it’s what you do in my family.
I feel lucky enough that I’m good at it and it’s what I love to do. It’s what brings me joy, so that was just something I ran with as a kid. It was my escape from the rest of the world. I could go and play, whether it was track or basketball or soccer. Obviously, I landed on soccer, but sports in general provided me this opportunity to escape. I didn’t have to be what society wanted me to be anymore, I could be whoever I wanted to be, to play, to let go and to be free.
What is your biggest or proudest accomplishment so far?
The last two years have been really difficult with COVID and they’ve changed sport so much. I’ve always been known for being a very intense person and I’m a very intense athlete and competitor.
In these last couple years, I’ve made an effort to be a teammate first and be more empathetic. I’ve gone through things that really shaped me into the person I am today. I’m more proud for the growth that sport has provided me as a person, more so than anything I ever have accomplished on the field.