@alexmorgan13
The Rio Olympics came to an end on Sunday night, but one Olympian is far from finished with her golden goals.
Striker Alex Morgan and the US women’s soccer team, who were 2012 Olympic gold medalists, unexpectedly lost to Sweden in the quarterfinals. Nevertheless, Morgan is staying positive and not letting the loss bring her down.
I think it’s important to keep things positive,” she told PEOPLE. “Sometimes you don’t win, and that sucks, and you work on improving.”
As Morgan continues to to train, she’s also determined to be an inspirational role model to young women everywhere with Always‘ #LikeAGirl campaign. We briefly chatted with Morgan about what’s next and how she’ll continue to keep playing regardless of wins or losses.
How do you keep things in perspective and stay positive despite disappointments in the season?
We have so many fans behind us, so we want to do well and stay positive for them!
Why did you partner with Always and the #LikeAGirl campaign?
It encourages girls to keep playing, even in the face of obstacles or losses like I experienced here in Rio. I was shocked to learn that half of girls will quit sports by age 17 and I hope that girls see my journey and know that they can do amazing things and feel empowered to continue playing #LikeAGirl.
As a role model to young girls everywhere, how do you send the message to #KeepPlaying?
By leading by example. It doesn’t feel good to lose and it’s not always easy to keep going, but you eventually need to face whatever hurdle you meet head-on and just #KeepPlaying.
How will you “keep playing” even after the Olympics?
By defending our World Cup title — our next major competition — and proving that we are the best in the world!
Was there a time when people doubted your ability because you were a woman?
When I was 13-years-old, I started playing club soccer and my coach didn’t believe in me. It was really difficult for me to hit that barrier while going through puberty and everything else, but I was able to overcome that with the help of my family and team by realizing that my confidence couldn’t be wavered just because of one person.
Can you share some of your best workout tips?
As much as I hate running, there’s no better workout. I also love to do is circuit training: I like to run on the treadmill, then do burpees and jump squats, and then get back on the treadmill. I like that you’re always surprising your body with that.
How do you like to relax and unwind after a game?
I love to see my family and go out to dinner with them. When it’s a late game it’s sometimes hard to turn your brain off, so I’ll also just binge watch shows. Right now I’m watching Stranger Things on Netflix and The Night Of on HBO.
xx, The FabFitFun Team
