Megan Rapinoe, co-captain of the U.S Women’s National Team and two-time World Cup champion has also been a symbol for gender equity not just in athletics, but the whole world. A native of Redding California, the forward is an unstoppable force in all senses and a “playful, inventive and out-of-the-box” player.

For the past five years Rapinoe has captained the team OL Reign in the NWSL and has previously been on teams in Chicago, Philadelphia and even France. She won Gold with the US team in the 2012 London Olympics and has been to the FIFA women’s world cup three times, two of which she helped the team to victory.

She is an advocate for multiple issues including LGBT rights and equal pay between the sexes. Rapinoe, along with the US Women’s national team filed a lawsuit in March 2019 against the US Soccer Federation for alleged pay discrimination, which was dismissed by a CA district judge, but the team is currently working on an appeal. Rapinoe has also been a long-time advocate for the Black Lives Matter Movement and was one of the first high-profile white athletes to kneel during the national anthem.