Soccer Player Lauren Cheney on Training for the London 2012 Olympics
Lauren Cheney's had a successful soccer career since she was in grade school, but these upcoming Olympic Games are her time to shine. As a student athlete at UCLA, she became the first player in the school's history to earn NSCAA/adidas First-Team All-America honors all four years of school. Lauren made the U.S. roster for the 2008 Olympics, and in 2010, professional team Boston Breakers drafted her. Now, she's taking on a leadership role as a forward and midfielder on the U.S. women's national team. Read on to learn about how she's overcome physical challenges to become one of the country's top soccer players.
Photo courtesy of Simon Bruty1/5"When I was three years old, I had open heart surgery. I was blessed to have great parents who didn't treat me any differently. They put me in athletics right away. I honestly had never really thought it had impacted me in that strong of a way until college. I actually have a heart arrhythmia [an irregular heartbeat], and it's made me realize how big of a surgery I went though as a child. It's about perseverance. I give my parents a lot of credit because they taught me that."
2/5This 24-year-old athlete opens up about supporting the U.S. team both from the sidelines and as a star player.
Photo courtesy of Boris Steubel3/5"I'm way more heart conscious and aware of my ercising and eating. It's so important for me to be able to refuel. In college I probably wouldn't have eaten breakfast before my morning workouts, but now I'll eat Chobani yogurt before I train. Knowing what works for your body is one more step to becoming an elite athlete."
Photo courtesy of Rick Yeatts4/5"If you care about your teammates, then it's easier to have a leadership role. Get to know your teammates. Nobody really listens until they know that you care. If you actually know them, then you'll know how to speak to them—what works for them and what doesn't. I'm so hard on myself individually, so it's important to have my teammates around me to pick me up if I'm having a bad game or even just a bad day. What's really cool about a team dynamic is that there's not one person that's going to win that gold medal for you. You may have a superstar on your team, but even she can't do it by herself."
Photo courtesy of Simon Bruty5/5"I was cut in 2008 from the Olympic team. During the send-off game before the team left for Beijing, a player broke her leg, and I was the first alternate called. My role on the team was so different. I was there to encourage. I didn't play much, but I needed to make my teammates around me the best that I could. This time around is so different. I started in the World Cup, and I think that in the Olympics, I'll be a more impactful player and a game changer. I'll have more of a leadership role this time around."
