What Megan Rapinoe Wants You to Know in 2020
“In the future,” Andy Warhol famously said, “everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” After Megan Rapinoe’s year, one might be inclined to update that.
But there are good reasons the pink-purple-haired co-captain of the world’s greatest women’s soccer team is having a mega moment.
She not only led her team to a historic victory, she led them to sue the U.S. Soccer Federation for Equal Pay—and she has handled her fame with irresistible delight. As Sports Illustrated said in naming her Sports Person of the year: “Rapinoe challenged perceptions of her, of female athletes, of all women.”
So, what does she want you to think about in 2020?
“You are more impactful than you think,” she said. “You are not going to be President of the United States, most likely. But you can have a massive impact that ripples.”
Emphasizing the importance of connecting with other women, she added: “We need to gain power from each other’s stories and find those common threads. Often, if feels difficult, because we feel isolated. But take the expertise and power that other women have for yourself as a way to motivate you in your life.”
How She Has Been Helped by Other Women
For those who might wonder how she has become as confident and capable as she is, Megan said: “I am the way I am because I didn’t come from system or structure designed to cut me out,” she explained. “I came from the likes of Mia [Hamm]and Abby [Wambach] and Brandi [Chastain.]
Referring to women who too often experience being the only one in the room, she added: “I was not one of one or one of a few. I grew up in a world where I was always one of 23 or 25 or 30.”
Put another way: She is an example of the power of women supporting women.