Abby Wambach was born in Rochester, New York, the youngest of 7 siblings. She started playing soccer at 4, and found she was very talented. At 21, Wambach made the Women’s National Team, and made an immediate impact. After 14 years on the team, Wambach became the team’s all time leading scorer, and is considered one of the greatest female players of all time.
During her career, Wambach dealt with a lot of anxiety. She talked about having extreme anxiety before games, and also having a lot of self loathing. To deal with this, she turned to alcohol and pills. Wambach was able to find treatment, and overcome these problems, and still become one of the greatest soccer players ever.
Wambach has also been a great advocate and role model, being open about her struggles on social media, and talking about the importance of mental health treatment. She continues to be an inspiration, and shows young women that you can overcome addiction and anxiety.
Further Resources
https://www.starsandstripesfc.com/2016/9/13/12903240/hope-self-loathing-abby-wambach-memoir-review