n this episode of Life of a Soccer Girl, Evie tells the story of Megan Rapinoe’s journey to the top of women’s soccer — and everything it took to get there.

From growing up in California and overcoming family hardship, to battling multiple ACL injuries, Rapinoe’s path was anything but easy. But through resilience, confidence, and a refusal to stay quiet, she became one of the most influential players in the game.

This episode dives into:

Megan Rapinoe’s early life and soccer beginnings
Her comeback from multiple major injuries
The iconic 2011 World Cup assist vs. Brazil
Olympic gold and international success
Activism, equal pay, and using her platform
The unforgettable 2019 World Cup performance
What it means to peak under pressure

At 34 years old, Rapinoe stood on top of the world — Golden Boot, Golden Ball, World Cup champion — proving that greatness doesn’t always follow a straight path.

This is more than a soccer story. It’s about resilience, identity, and showing up as your full self — even when the world is watching.

What's it like to have a sister who's just 13 months older than you and plays the same sport? To be on the same teams, go to the same clubs, sign with the same pro team? To make history together but also get compared constantly? Gisele Thompson is 19 years old and one of the highest-paid players in the NWSL. She and her sister Alyssa became the first siblings to start together in an NWSL game and the first to combine for a goal. In this episode, I'm exploring the unique pressure and opportunity of building your career side by side with family—and what it's like to be so young with so much already happening.

Mia Hamm played for the U.S. Women's National Team for 17 years. She won two World Cups and two Olympic gold medals. She scored 158 international goals. But here's what I keep thinking about: for most of her career, there was no professional league. No endorsement deals. No sold-out stadiums. She played when almost no one was watching. In this episode, I'm talking about what it must have been like to be THE pioneer — to carry women's soccer on your shoulders before anyone cared. To build something from nothing. To be the first, so that players like me could have a path to follow. This one's different. It's about gratitude. It's about understanding where women's soccer came from. And it's about saying thank you to the player who changed everything.