8 Ways Christie Rampone Is A Total Badass

Between Americans celebrating the Fourth of July and the U.S. Women's Soccer Team winning the World Cup on Sunday, it was a particularly patriotic weekend. These ladies are all total badasses, drawing somewhere between 20 and 23 million television viewers and taking down Japan's women's World Cup team with a final score of 5-2. It's no wonder that the United States' captain, Christie Rampone, is an icon.

Rampone has a long history of basically being awesome. She's a Olympic gold medalist three times over and a silver medal winner once, according to Team USA. She was named captain of the U.S. Women’s National Team in 2008. Sunday's event might be Rampone's last World Cup match, so it's a good thing her team brought home the winning trophy, huh?

With her teammates, Rampone will take an exhibition tour, then decide whether to try out for the team competing in the Brazil Olympics, according to the Los Angeles Times. If she does go for another gold medal, she said that it would be her last major international tournament. Whether she is soon moving on from soccer or not, she is still a fantastic player who deserves a lot of respect. Here are eight of the ways Rampone has proved just how tough she is.

She's Always At The Top

Rampone has never finished lower than third place at any Olympic or World Cup event. That's pretty impressive because she's played as a defender in four Olympic tournaments and four FIFA Women’s World Cup finals, according to Us Weekly.

She Has Her Own Girl's Soccer Camp

Rampone created a summer program for girls aged 6 to 14 interested in soccer. National Team players, college coaches and players, and Sky Blue FC players (her professional team) all assist Rampone in teaching the game to young women.

She Was Going To Teach Special Ed Before Getting A Life-Changing Fax

Although she was a star soccer player at Monmouth University, finishing with 79 goals, Rampone had plans to be a special education teacher and leave soccer behind. She received a surprising fax that contained an invitation to try out for the United States Women’s National Team, according to The Heavy.

She Led Her High School Conference In Scoring For Three Sports

In high school, Rampone was the top scorer for her school's conference in three different sports, according to the National Women's Soccer League. She played field hockey in the fall, basketball in the winter, and soccer in the spring.

She's A Humanitarian

Like many professional athletes, Rampone likes to give back. She has supported the Boys and Girls Club of America and those affected by cancer, multiple sclerosis, and autism, according to Look to the Stars. She even brought a family into her home who had lost their house during Hurricane Sandy, according to USSoccer.com.

She's Still Kicking

At 40, Rampone is the oldest competitor to play in the Women's World Cup, according to Us Weekly. She shows no signs of slowing down her game.

She Trained Under Mia Hamm

Rampone played forward in high school and college but transitioned into being a defender. Hamm helped her through the transition at the team camp. She learned from her mistakes was getting "torn apart" by the most iconic name in women's soccer, according to the National Women's Soccer League.

She Came Back After Injury

In January, Rampone hurt her back during training. Then she sprained her left medial collateral ligament during practice. By April, she hadn't played a single game with the U.S. team, according to USA Today. However, by the World Cup on July 5, she was powerful enough to lead her team to victory.

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