Star Footballer Megan Rapinoe Wins Woman Of The Year Award

Megan Rapinoe, star of the United States Women’s National Team, was awarded Glamour magazine’s women of the year. In her acceptance speech she thanked fellow football player Colin Kaepernick saying, “I don’t feel like I would be here without” him, Washington Post reported. The team won Women’s World Cup title  thanks to the star of the show Megan Rapinoe who began thanking every woman with a light-hearted “shout-out to women this year. Every woman! We’re just killing it the whole year. So shout-out to just women in general.”

“Shout-out to women this year. Every woman! We’re just killing it the whole year. So shout-out to just women in general,” Megan Rapinoe roared.

Rapinoe is now one of the most recognisable faces worldwide and appeared in television spots and print advertisements for Vitamin Water in 2016, and also featured in a Nike commercial that same year with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Key Takeaways:

• Megan Rapinoe, star of the United States Women’s National Team, won Glamour magazine’s women of the year award
• Acknowledging every woman with a light-hearted speech she said, “shout-out to women this year. Every woman! We’re just killing it the whole year. So shout-out to just women in general.”
• The 33-year-old fights against racial issues, gender issues, LGBTQ issues, immigration, sexual harassment, and sexual assault. She is a major advocate of equal pay.
• Rapinoe, the USWNT co-captain is writing a book, which is scheduled to be released in the fall of 2020

“While I’m enjoying all of this unprecedented — and, frankly, a little bit uncomfortable — attention and personal success, in large part due to my activism off the field, Colin Kaepernick is still effectively banned from the NFL for kneeling during the national anthem in protest of known and systematic police brutality against people of colour, known and systematic racial injustice, and known and systematic white supremacy,” Rapinoe told the New York audience in Alice Tully Hall talking about the injustice towards Kaepernick.

On a more serious note, talking about her fight for equal pay, she said, “We all have injustices we are facing — for me personally, a very public fight with our federation over why we don’t deserve to be paid equally; some people even say we do our job better. I don’t know! It’s crazy!”

“Every player at this World Cup put on the most incredible show that you could ever ask for. We can’t do anything more…”

Megan Rapinoe used her post-win World Cup press conference to demand wage equality https://t.co/mFa3jq67hC pic.twitter.com/zha37W22st

— CNN (@CNN) July 8, 2019

“I still know in my heart of hearts and my bones that I can do more. And that we can do more. And I know that because we just have to. We must. It’s imperative that we do more.”

Quick facts about Rapinoe:

• Rapinoe, the USWNT co-captain is writing a book, which is scheduled to be released in the fall of 2020, The New York Times reported.
• Forward Rapinoe is a gold-medal Olympian and World Cup champion.
• She is one of the team’s co-captains, hence the leadership comes naturally for her — both on and off the field
• Rapinoe made her third straight appearance on her sport’s biggest stage this World Cup
• She has been playing for Team USA since 2006. Her records are 152 caps (fourth on the team), 44 goals (third), and 57 assists (fifth in team history).
• She is one of two players representing the NWSL’s Reign FC (the other being midfielder Allie Long), and next to Carli Lloyd and Alex Morgan, Rapinoe is the most experienced player on the team.
• At the W-League’s Sydney FC in 2011, Rapinoe was among the first eight American players ever to play in the league. She is also among 35 Team USA players to reach 100 or more international caps.
• She is not only helping the team to play and win games, but also fighting for equal pay for her hardworking crew.
• The 33-year-old is adamant to not want to visit the White House or Donald Trump because of his remarks on racial issues, gender issues, LGBTQ issues, immigration, sexual harassment, and sexual assault.
• Rapinoe, who is known for her strong opinions, has led the way in the women’s national team’s lawsuit against U.S. Soccer, accusing the federation of gender discrimination.
• Rapinoe with her partner Sue Bird became the first gay couple to appear on the cover of the annual Body Issue of ESPN The Magazine. 

READ: Women Footballers Don’t Have A Long History In India: Aditi Chauhan

Feature Image Credit: Los Angeles Times

Read More Stories By Ria Das