What was just a regular lunch between US Women’s National Team training sessions in Denver about a week ago has turned into a pretty eventful afternoon for USWNT forward Megan Rapinoe.
Megan Rapinoe was having lunch with her teammates between a weightlifting session and a field workout at the Denver Broncos Training Center on June 23 – the 50th anniversary of the title IX passing – when her phone rang. The screen flashed: “The White House.” Rapinoe, immediately thinking it was robocall or that maybe she was being caught by her teammates, showed her phone screen to teammate Kelley O’Hara. “You probably need to get this,” said O’Hara, a Washington, D.C. resident. After three or four rings, she did. But not before O’Hara, showing grace under pressure, suggested that Rapinoe unplug his phone from a portable speaker. Rapinoe was listening to Drake’s song on her phone, and it was blasting over the sound system. With the phone hastily disconnected from the speakerphone, she answered. “It’s Megan Rapinoe,” said the voice on the other end of the line. “Uh, yes,” Rapinoe replied. “Please wait for the President of the United States,” said the White House Operator. And on the line came President Joe Biden. After teasing Rapinoe for the first time about the red card she received a few days earlier, the first of her career at any level, he proceeded to tell her the reason for the call. He chose her to receive the highest civilian honor that can be bestowed in the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, an award bestowed by the President of the United States to recognize individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States. , world peace or other significant social, public or private endeavors. “In that moment when I spoke to the president, I was and still am totally emotional,” Rapinoe said. “I just think of all the people I feel deserve a part of this medal, from my family to current and former teammates. ipe, every woman on the US Women’s National Team throughout our history, to Colin Kaepernick, the three women who founded Bla. ck Lives Matter – Opal, Alicia and Patrisse – for Marsha P, Sylvia and Billie Jean, the Williams sisters, of course, my fiancée Sue Bird, and many others. I am humbled and truly honored to be chosen for this award by President Biden and feel inspired and motivated as ever to continue this long history of fighting for the freedom of all people. To quote Emma Lazarus, ‘Until we are all free, none of us are free.’” Rapinoe is the first female soccer player to receive the award and one of six athletes or coaches to be honored along with Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, the tennis player and women’s rights pioneer Billie Jean King, track at the 1932 Olympics and gold medalist and professional golfer Babe Didrikson Zaharias, women’s basketball legend Pat Summitt and professional golfer Annika Sörenstam. Prior to this year, only 647 people have received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the 59 years since the award was first awarded in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy.
Megan Rapinoe was having lunch with her teammates between a weightlifting session and a field workout at the Denver Broncos Training Center on June 23 – the 50th anniversary of the title IX passing – when her phone rang. The screen flashed: “The White House.”
Rapinoe, immediately thinking it was robocall or that maybe she was being caught by her teammates, showed her phone screen to teammate Kelley O’Hara.
“You probably need to get this,” said O’Hara, a Washington, D.C. resident. After three or four rings, she did.
But not before O’Hara, showing grace under pressure, suggested that Rapinoe unplug his phone from a portable speaker. Rapinoe was listening to Drake’s song on her phone, and it was blasting over the sound system.
With the phone hastily disconnected from the speakerphone, she answered.
“It’s Megan Rapinoe,” said the voice on the other end of the line.
“Uh, yes,” Rapinoe replied.
“Please wait for the President of the United States,” said the White House Operator.
And on the line came President Joe Biden. After teasing Rapinoe for the first time about the red card she received a few days earlier, the first of her career at any level, he proceeded to tell her the reason for the call.
He chose her to receive the highest civilian honor that can be bestowed in the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, an award bestowed by the President of the United States to recognize individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States. , world peace or other significant social, public or private endeavors.
“In that moment when I spoke to the president, I was and still am totally emotional,” Rapinoe said. “I just think of all the people I feel deserve a part of this medal, from my family to current and former teammates, all the women on the U.S. Women’s National Team throughout our history, to Colin Kaepernick, the three women who founded Black Lives Matter – Opal, Alicia and Patrisse – for Marsha P, Sylvia and Billie Jean, the Williams sisters, of course, my fiancée Sue Bird, and many others. I am humbled and truly honored to be chosen for this award by President Biden and feel inspired and motivated as ever to continue this long history of fighting for the freedom of all people. To quote Emma Lazarus, ‘Until we are all free, none of us is free.’”
Rapinoe is the first female soccer player to receive the award and one of six athletes or coaches to be honored along with Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, tennis player and women’s rights pioneer Billie Jean King, 1932 Olympics track and medalist. gold medalist and professional golfer Babe Didrikson Zaharias, women’s basketball legend Pat Summitt and professional golfer Annika Sörenstam.
Prior to this year, only 647 people have received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the 59 years since the award was first awarded in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy.
