With one Olympic gold medal under her belt, U.S. women’s soccer goalkeeper Hope Solo has become one of the most recognized figures in women’s sports.
Solo rose to prominence at the 2008 Olympics, gaining even more fame during Team USA’s run at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which ended with a devastating loss to Japan on penalty kicks in the championship game. In anticipation of the 2012 Summer Games, Solo has been reevaluating her penalty kick strategy and going as hard as ever in the gym to build power. Solo and the rest of the U.S. team are preparing to defend their Olympic title and avenge their World Cup loss to Japan.
In an interview with STACK, Solo talked about what it’s like to finally compete professionally after dreaming about it when she was a child. Although women’s soccer has seen dramatic growth over the last few decades, playing professionally in the U.S. was impossible until just a few years ago. The WPS didn’t play its first game until March 2009.
“I think I was 12 years old…our teacher told us to write about what you wanted to be when you grow up,” Solo says. “I said, ‘I want to be a professional soccer player when I grow up.’ So I had that dream before it was even possible.”
Watch the video above for more insight on Solo’s Olympic mindset and world-class workout, and check out the entire Hope Solo workout on STACK.com.