More from Abby Wambach

Don't just ask yourself, 'What do I want to do?' Ask yourself: 'Who do I want to be?' Because what you do will never define you. Who you are always will.

AW

Abby Wambach

Barnard College Commencement 2018, 2018

24:35

Video starts at 24:35 — the moment this quote was spoken

The Story Behind This Quote

Wambach's closing lesson comes from her retirement. Her Gatorade farewell commercial carried the message 'Forget Me' — because if her name were forgotten, it would mean the women who came after were breaking records and pushing the game higher. A year later, coaching her ten-year-old daughter's team, a little girl asked her what she retired from. 'Soccer.' 'Oh, who did you play for?' 'The United States of America.' 'Oh. Does that mean you know Alex Morgan?' They forgot her. But that wasn't what scared her — what scared her was losing the identity the game gave her. Then she realized: soccer didn't make her who she was. She brought who she was to soccer. She still shows up and gives 100% — now to her new pack — and still fights every day for the next generation.

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