Every two years we all look forward to watching the summer or winter Olympics. Talented and strong athletes from around the world come and compete to see who’s the best of the best. Every athlete on Team USA makes us proud to call ourselves American and these six women are no exception. These ladies stand out for being skilled in their game on and off the fields.
1. Mallory Pugh
At just 18 years old, Pugh is the youngest U.S. female soccer player to compete in an Olympic qualifying match. In Rio this August, she will be the second youngest U.S soccer player since 1904. Mallory Pugh is also the sixth-youngest player to score a goal in the history of the women’s program. Pugh recently graduated from high school in Colorado, and will play at UCLA in the fall. Mallory proves that if you work hard enough at something, age is truly just a number.
2. Allyson Felix
During the 2012 Olympics, Felix became the first female athlete since 1988 to win three gold medals in a single Olympic Games. She won her first Olympic medal at eighteen and has held many records and won championships around the world. She is a member of numerous outreach programs such as, Right To Play and Win With Integrity. Felix is a part of the Presidential Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition as well as an advocate for the Let’s Move! campaign. As a prestigious athlete, Allyson Felix shows us how important it is to be involved and encourage young, aspiring athletes to reach for their dreams.
3. Laurie Hernandez
This New Jersey native has been making headlines recently. Hernandez, who is only sixteen years old, will be the first U.S.-born Hispanic to make the U.S. Women’s Olympic Gymnastics team since 1984. In 2014, Laurie could not participate in gymnastic events due to a series of injuries. She was able to make a strong recovery through 2015 and has continued to excel in her athletics since then. Hernandez shows that it doesn’t matter how hard you fall, what matters is how strong you are when you get back up.
4. Breanna Stewart
Breanna Stewart has a special place in our hearts here at UConn. This former Husky helped bring the women’s basketball team four consecutive NCAA titles and ended her UConn career with a 151-5 record. In the 2013 Final Four, Stewart was the first freshman in twenty-six years to earn the Most Outstanding Player award. Stewart also won an ESPY this year for Best Female Athlete where she addressed the issue of women’s equality in sports. Breanna Stewart is a great representation of what it means to be a dedicated and passionate athlete.
5. Morghan King
Morghan King began weightlifting after she was an active user of the fitness regimen, CrossFit. King started lifting full time in 2012 at age of twenty-six. King finished first in her weight class at the 2016 National Championships/Olympics Trials with a 180.0 kg personal best. Morghan proves you can pick up a sport at any age and still be extraordinary. She shows what determines your skill level isn’t when you start, but how much dedication and heart you put into it.
6. Ibtihaj Muhammad
Ibithaj Muhammad will be the first U.S. female Olympian to compete wearing a hijab. Muhammad was the Muslim Athlete of the year in 2012 and is a positive role model to younger generations. She serves on the U.S. Department of State’s Empowering Women and Girls Through Sports initiative, as well as works with the Peter Westbrook Foundation where she mentors inner-city kids through fencing. Ibithaj Muhammad, like Allyson Felix, proves that on and off the field it is important to make a difference in your community and to show others no matter who they are, they too can go for gold.
Who’s your favorite Olympic female athlete headed to Rio? Tweet us your picks and why they inspire you @UConnHC!