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Biography & Autobiography. Sports & Recreations. Nonfiction. HTML:An instant New York Times bestseller! �Rapinoe's 'signature pose' from the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup is synonymous to the feeling we got when finishing this book: heart full, arms wide and ready to take up space in this world.��USA Today Megan Rapinoe, Olympic gold medalist and two-time Women's World Cup champion, reveals for the first time her life both on and off the field. Guided by her personal journey into social justice, brimming with humor, humanity, and joy, she urges all of us to ask ourselves, What will you do with your one life? Only four years old when she kicked her first soccer ball, Megan Rapinoe developed a love � and clear talent � for the game at a young age. But it was her parents who taught her that winning was much less important than how she lived her life. From childhood on, Rapinoe always did what she could to stand up for what was right�even if it meant going up against people who disagreed. In One Life, Megan Rapinoe invites readers on a remarkable journey, looking back on both her victories and her failures, and pulls back the curtain on events we know only from the headlines. After the 2011 World Cup, discouraged by how few athletes were open about their sexuality, Rapinoe decided to come out publicly as gay and use her platform to advocate for marriage equality. Recognizing the power she had to bring attention to critical issues, in 2016 she took a knee during the national anthem in solidarity with former NFL player Colin Kaepernick to protest racial injustice and police brutality�the first high-profile white athlete to do so. The backlash was immediate, but it couldn�t compare to the overwhelming support. Rapinoe became a force of change. Here for the first time, Rapinoe reflects upon some of the most pivotal moments in her life and career � from her realization in college that she was gay, through the disputes with soccer coaches and officials over her decision to kneel, to the first time she met her now-fianc� WNBA champion Sue Bird, and up through suing the US Soccer Federation over gender discrimination and equal pay. Throughout, Rapinoe makes clear the obligation we all have to speak up, and the impact each of us can have on our communities. Deeply personal and inspiring, One Life reveals that real, concrete change lies within all of us, and asks: If we all have the same resource�this one precious life, made up of the decisions we make every day�what are you going to do? "One Life makes it clear that Rapinoe�s greatest accomplishments may ultimately come away from the soccer pitch. She�s a new kind of American hero."�San Francisco Chronicle .… (more)
User reviews
Football (soccer) fans; people who like awesome people.
In a nutshell:
One of the world’s best professional footballers shares her story of growing up, becoming a star, and speaking out about things that matter.
Worth quoting:
“In a country of 330 million people, only 23 women get to make
Why I chose it:
I love football. I am a US Women’s National Team and Reign supporter. Pinoe is one of my favorite players. Like, this book was always something I was going to read.
Review:
I love soccer. I play it competitively in a grassroots league here in England, and I watch it. The NWSL team I support is the Reign, where Rapinoe plays. I’ve been in the stands as the US Women’s National Team won two world cups (in 2015 in Canada, and last year in France). I’m not a fan who can spout off stats, but I am a fan who loves watching the game.
Even people in the US who don’t follow soccer have probably heard of Megan Rapinoe. In last years’ World Cup, she won the award from most goals, as well as player of the tournament. But before that, people may remember her as being one of the first athletes to kneel in solidarity with the protests that Colin Kaepernick started, during the US national anthem. She is outspoken, and has taken to using the platform she has to promote other voices.
The book is a quick, easy read. She shares some insight into her time on the US team, but also her time growing up. Her childhood is surprisingly normal in many ways, and she’s relatable. She’s honest about where she has to improve and clear about where she excels - not just in soccer, but in life. She’s also inspiring as hell, being one of the first out professional female athletes. She’s helped lead the way for pay parity for women in the lawsuit against US soccer that she and four teammates filed. I remember being in the stands last year, as the US women won, and we all started chanting ‘Equal Pay.’ Shitty that such chants are still needed, but amazing that more people are recognizing the absurdity of pay inequality across gender and race these days.
The theme that runs through the aptly named book is basically that we all just have this life. What are we really doing with it? Are we speaking out in defense of our beliefs? In support of others? Are we doing what we think is right? After reading this, I feel reinvigorated. The writing is fun and feels free and open. I’m sure she held some things back, but it didn’t read like that. It read like a cool person telling some cool stories.
Keep it / Pass to a Friend / Donate it / Toss it:
Keep it
The title of her book comes from a Mary Oliver poem that asks, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? She works to answer that question, and she asks each of us to ponder it as well.
Many thanks to the wonderful person who chose this as a Christmas gift for me!
From the outset, Megan broke barriers and created new beginnings, not just for herself, but all those coming up behind her. Unfiltered, she recites those journeys here and dares us, encourages us, challenges us to walk with her in today’s journey towards making the world
I kind of glazed over the soccer parts but really appreciated the activist parts. Lots of truth in here, and I would recommend her book to other