Team USA soccer star Sam Coffey is ready to compete—and win—in the 2024 Olympics. Coffey, 25, shared a picture of herself wearing the official shorts and jersey uniform of the Women’s National Team, posing with a soccer ball. “Been dreaming a long time for this one. Olympic Game Day. @uswnt @paris2024,” she captioned the post. “It’s been such a joy to watch this journey unfold. We could not be more proud of you – as a player and as a human. All things, Sammy.❤️,” commented her father Wayne. Here’s how the athlete is living her best life.
Coffey loves hiking with her friends and family. “Nature can help decrease your anxiety levels and can help lessen stress and feelings of anger,” says UC Davis Health. “Exercise can also help this, but it’s even better when you’re outside. Regular access to green spaces has been linked to lower risks of depression and improved concentration and attention. Being outside allows us to be social and come together with family, friends, or even people you don’t know who are also looking for a great hiking trail, for example.”
Coffey is thrilled to be in Paris for the Olympics. “It’s hard to put into words,” she told AP. “To reach the pinnacle of your sport and to be at this event that is so historic and so legendary and something I watched growing up as a kid — I come back to the word surreal. I think I’m just overcome with emotion and excitement and joy that I get to call myself an Olympian.”
Coffey was devastated not to be picked for the World Cup, but didn’t let it destroy her dreams. “Ultimately I had a choice after that: I could feel bad for myself and kind of sulk my way through it, or I could pick myself up, continue to get after it, continue to grow and not let a setback or a failure define me,” she told AP.
Coffey loves to travel in her down time, exploring new places and learning new things. “It was an off-season filled with lots of love, reconnecting, pick-up games, healing and laughs. Feeling grateful for time spent with people I adore in both new and familiar places. And for bagels,” she captioned a post.
Coffey is optimistic about the team’s chances. “I think we’re turning a page,” she told AP. “Like I’ve talked about on my own journey, the hard things that I’ve gone through are some of the most important moments of my career. I think it’s the same for the team. We’re taking hard lessons and hard experiences and turning them into resilience, turning them into strength, turning them into growth. And I think that’s ultimately what makes champions and championship teams.”