Ali Krieger
I'm grateful that I got a good education and to have all the people I have around me.
I was clipped from behind, and my leg got caught between my opponent's legs. As we fell, my leg snapped. It was a spiral fracture. They had to put in a plate and five screws. It was a devastating moment: one minute I was on cloud nine, and then I was out for the season.
In 2005, I would have never guessed that I was at risk for a pulmonary embolism. I was 21 years-old, playing college soccer and just living the dream.
When you're at the highest point of your career at the highest level in your sport, any moment that you have these setbacks and injuries is devastating. You have to start back from zero, and you never know if you're going to get back to where you once were.
My 20s were really tough, just traveling and living in different countries, and now I feel like I know what I want from life.
I have to win, even if I'm just playing ping pong.
For me, I just set little goals for myself and stay on that kind of track and surround myself with positive people along with my teammates. I just kind of have my goals and my dreams, and this is something that we've all been working for our entire lives, so it is kind of easy to wake up and want to better myself every day towards that goal.
Any kind of dance or house, remix type music, I really love that. That will really pump me up. I really love anything Beyonce - honestly, that would pump me up.
When I was 6 years old, I played on a coed indoor team. We were called the Cosmos. And then, after that, when I was 7, I played on an all-girls club team.
Surround yourself with good people, surround yourself with positivity and people who are going to challenge you to make you better.Collection: Positivity
No matter what job you have, even when it's one you love, it's important to take some time away, both mentally and physically, to regroup, refresh and regain good, positive energy.Collection: Jobs
I always joke to my dad and thank him for giving me this little boy body. When I was 6 or 7, my gymnastics coach looked at my quads and told the other coach to come over and see my quads. They were big then and still are. But I've kind of embraced it through the years.Collection: Dad