Megan Rapinoe is an American professional soccer player and activist. She is the current captain of the OL Reign professional team and co-captain of the United States national team, which she has played for since 2005. She’s competed in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup (second place), the 2012 London Summer Olympics (gold), the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup (gold), the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup (gold) and the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics (bronze). Rapinoe is well-known for her staunch social and political views. The athlete is included in Time Magazine‘s 100 Most Influential People of 2020.

MEGAN RAPINOE BIOGRAPHY: AGE, EARLY LIFE, FAMILY, EDUCATION

Megan Rapinoe was born on July 5, 1985 (Megan Rapinoe’s age: 40), in Redding, California. Her parents, Jim and Denise, raised five children. Rapinoe has an older sister, two older brothers, and a fraternal twin sister, Rachael Rapinoe.

Growing up, Rapinoe idolized her older brother Brian. At age 15, however, Brian was sent to juvenile detention and spent the following years in and out of prison. Recently, Brian has made a concerted effort to get off drugs and turn his life around.

Rapinoe attended Foothill High School, where she competed on the track and basketball teams. She played soccer for Elk Grove Pride Club Team in the Women’s Premier Soccer League from 2002 to 2005. Rapinoe was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-American team as a junior and a senior. In 2002, she was a member of the U-16 Women’s National Team. In 2004, she was named to the McDonald’s All-American Girls High School Soccer West Team. Rapinoe also played for the Olympic Development Program (ODP) throughout high school. The athlete played on the U-19 Women’s National Team from 2003 to 2004, competing in the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championships in Thailand, where the United States finished third.

MEGAN RAPINOE BIOGRAPHY: COLLEGE CAREER

In 2005, both Rapinoe and her sister Rachael attended the University of Portland, Oregon on full soccer scholarships. In her freshman year, she led the Pilots to an undefeated season and the NCAA Division I Championship. She received several accolades that season, including NSCAA First Team All-American, Soccer America First Team Freshman All-America, and West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year, among others.

Rapinoe began training with the U.S. national team in 2006. She played in her first game on July 23, 2006, in a friendly match against Ireland. She scored her first two goals in October in a friendly match against Taiwan.

In her sophomore year in 2006, Rapinoe was among the nation’s leading scorers when she suffered her first ACL injury during a match against Washington State University.

In her junior year (2007), Rapinoe suffered a second ACL injury during the second game of the season. Once again, she was forced to sit out the rest of the season.

Rapinoe returned for her senior season in 2008, scoring five goals and contributing 13 assists. Despite a year of eligibility remaining due to her many injuries, she entered the 2009 Women’s Professional Draft. She was selected second overall by the Chicago Red Stars for the inaugural season of Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS).

MEGAN RAPINOE BIOGRAPHY: PROFESSIONAL CAREER

In her first year playing for the Red Stars, she started 17 of 18 games, scored 3 goals, and recorded 3 assists. She was named to the league’s All-Star Team and played in the All-Star match against Swedish Damallsvenskan champions Umeå IK. Also in 2009, Rapinoe returned to the women’s national team and started six of seven games.

In December of 2010, Rapinoe signed with the Philadelphia Independence.

While she was in Germany, she was traded to MagicJack, where she made eight regular-season appearances and helped them reach the final, which they lost to the Philadelphia Independence. MagicJack dissolved in 2011, leaving Rapinoe a free agent.

Also in 2011, Rapinoe was named to the United States national team roster for the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Rapinoe scored in the team’s second group-stage match against Colombia, when she famously celebrated by grabbing an on-field microphone and singing Bruce Springsteen‘s “Born in the U.S.A.” In the quarterfinal match against Brazil, Rapinoe assisted Abby Wambach for the latest goal ever scored in a World Cup match. Rapinoe later helped the team in the penalty shootout, resulting in a victory for the United States. The athlete helped the United States in the championship game against Japan by assisting Alex Morgan for the first goal of the match, although they were ultimately defeated.

Rapinoe returned to the world stage at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. She scored three goals during the course of the tournament and contributed four assists. Two of the goals occurred during the semi-final match against Canada. One of the goals was scored directly from her corner kick, making Rapinoe the first and only player (male or female) to score an Olimpico in the Olympic Games. She later scored a second Olimpico in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The United States defeated Japan in the championship round to secure the gold.

After brief stints with the Australian W-League team Sydney FC and the Seattle Sounders, Rapinoe signed a six-month contract with the French team Olympique Lyonnais in January of 2013.  The team ultimately reached the finals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, losing to VfL Wolfsburg.

In January 2014, Rapinoe left Lyon and joined Seattle Reign FC, where she played alongside her national teammate Hope Solo. Rapinoe became the team’s top scorer and turned around their overall league record. She helped the team advance to the National Women’s Soccer League finals, where they played FC Kansas City. Rapinoe scored the only goal of the game for the Seattle Reign, and they ultimately lost 2-1. Rapinoe continues to play for Seattle Reign FC in the present day.

In 2015, Rapinoe participated in her second FIFA Women’s World Cup, this time in Canada. Rapinoe scored twice in the team’s first group stage match against Australia. The United States ultimately won the tournament after defeating Japan in a rematch of the 2012 FIFA Women’s World Cup final.

Rapinoe rejoined the United States roster for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She contributed one goal in the infamous 13-0 win over Thailand during the group stage of the tournament. During the knockout stage, Rapinoe scored the United States’ two goals in their victory over Spain. Rapinoe scored another two goals in the quarterfinal match against France, earning them a spot in the semifinals. While forced to sit out the semifinals due to injury, Rapinoe returned in full force for the final match, scoring one of the United States’ two goals of the game and ensuring their second consecutive World Cup win. Rapinoe was awarded the Golden Boot for having scored the most goals in the tournament, as well as the Golden Ball award for best player.

In the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, Rapinoe scored twice in the 4-3 win against Australia in the bronze-medal match.

MEGAN RAPINOE BIOGRAPHY: INTERVIEW ON TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS

In April of 2021, Rapinoe and her teammates Becky Sauerbrunn and Crystal Dunn spoke during a media availability about the upcoming Tokyo Olympics and how COVID-19 had affected their preparation. The United States women’s national team had won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019, setting the stakes high for the Olympics.

While for many athletes the delay of the Olympic Games due to COVID was difficult, Rapinoe had a different opinion.

“For us, this was a nice little silver lining, obviously, of COVID and the pandemic, just to have a year to rest,” she said. “Some players played a lot, went overseas, some players like myself took more time for themselves, time that we never really get to get our bodies right and just to have that break.”

Reflecting on the benefits of the delay of the games, Rapinoe revealed that, “I think of all the teams, we probably have the most benefit just because we would have been so tired, particularly after all the wildness of [the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup].”

Watch the full interview below.

MEGAN RAPINOE BIOGRAPHY: PERSONAL LIFE AND ACTIVISM

Rapinoe dated Australian soccer player Sarah Walsh for four years, beginning in 2009 and ending in 2013. She announced her engagement to Sub Pop recording artist Sera Cahoone in 2015. In January 2017, Rapinoe revealed that the wedding plans were on hold. In July 2017, Rapinoe and WNBA player Sue Bird of the Seattle Storm confirmed their relationship. The couple announced their engagement in October 2020.

In September 2016, Rapinoe made headlines by kneeling during the national anthem in what she described as a nod to Colin Kaepernick‘s protests. Rapinoe stated that, as a member of the LGBTQ community, she has experienced firsthand what it means to have the American flag not protect all of one’s liberties.

In 2016, Rapinoe and four other women from the United States women’s national soccer team filed a Charge of Discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, accusing the United States Soccer Federation of wage discrimination. A judge ultimately ruled against the female players. Rapinoe was one of the 27 US women’s soccer team players in 2019 to file a lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation, accusing it of gender discrimination – specifically, unequal pay. A judge dismissed the wage-discrimination claims, but the trial remains ongoing on the claims of discriminatory work conditions.

Rapinoe has been involved with various LGBTQ rights organizations, namely the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSE) and Athlete Ally.

In 2017, Rapinoe and teammate Morgan were the first two women players to sign up for Juan Mata‘s Common Goal campaign, in which players donate one percent of their individual wages to soccer-related charities.

Rapinoe publicly endorsed Democratic candidate Elizabeth Warren in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries. She also hosted a panel during the 2020 Democratic National Convention alongside frontline workers of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In November 2020, Rapinoe published her autobiography, One Life.

MEGAN RAPINOE BIOGRAPHY: INTERVIEW ON SOCIAL JUSTICE

In April 2021, Rapinoe spoke extensively at the Olympic Media Summit about her views on recent events in the sports world and the responsibilities of athletes regarding social justice. Speaking about the MLB’s decision to move the 2021 All-Star Game out of Atlanta in response to Georgia’s restrictive new voting laws, Rapinoe emphasized the power of athletics to influence the political landscape.

“Athletes are in a very unique position in this country that is obsessed with sports… that looks to us for a lot of role-modeling, not just for kids but for adults, as well as sort of puts athletes on this pedestal all the time,” Rapinoe explained.

“So many athletes have sort of taken that responsibility on themselves, knowing the influence that we can have,” she went on. “I think [it is] really inspiring, and I think it’s made a huge difference in the country, to be honest. It changes hearts and minds.”

Rapinoe, who herself is a member of the LGBTQ community and a longtime advocate for LGBTQ rights and awareness, noted that intersectionality among athletes is one of the reasons they wield special power in the public sphere.

“Athletes are from every cross-section of life, at every single intersectionality. I think we have a unique power in our voice, and a unique perspective, knowing that we can represent just about anyone in the country.”

Catch the full interview below.

FACT SHEET

Full Name

Megan Anna Rapinoe

Date of Birth

July 5, 1985

Birthplace

Redding, California

Height

5’6″

Education

Foothill High School; University of Portland

Relationship Status

Engaged to Sue Bird

Family

Jim Rapinoe (father), Denise Rapinoe (mother), Rachael Rapinoe (twin sister), Brian Rapinoe (brother)

Twitter Handle

@mPinoe

Notable Accolades

Runners Up in 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup

Gold Medal in 2012 Summer Olympics in London

Champions in 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup

Champions in 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup

Bronze Medal in 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics

Allyson Felix is an American track and field sprinter. She specializes in the 200-meter and 400-meter sprint, both of which she’s won several Olympic medals in. Felix is the most decorated athlete in World Athletics Championships history, with 18 career medals. She has won 11 Olympic medals, seven of them gold, making her the most decorated female track and field Olympian and most decorated American track and field Olympian in history.

ALLYSON FELIX BIOGRAPHY: EARLY LIFE, FAMILY, EDUCATION

Allyson Felix was born on November 18, 1985 (Allyson Felix age: 35), in Los Angeles, California. Her father, Paul Felix, is an ordained minister and professor of New Testament at The Master’s Seminary in Sun Valley, California. Her mother, Marlean Felix, is an elementary school teacher at Balboa Magnet Elementary. Her older brother, Wes Felix, is a former competitive sprinter and now acts as Felix’s agent.

Felix attended Los Angeles Baptist High School in North Hills, California, where she began competing in track and field. In 2001, she achieved her first international title competing in the 100-meter at the Debrecan World Youth Championships. In 2003, she was named “High School Athlete of the Year” by Track and Field News. Her senior year, Felix finished second in the 200-meter at the US Indoor Track and Field Championships.

After high school, Felix attended the University of Southern California, where she pursued a degree in elementary education. Notably, Felix forwent her college eligibility by signing a professional contract with Adidas.

ALLYSON FELIX BIOGRAPHY: CAREER

Felix competed in her first Olympics at the age of 18, at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She won a silver medal in the 200-meter, finishing behind Veronica Campbell of Jamaica. Her time of 22.18 set a junior world record.

In the 2005 World Championships at Helsinki, Felix became the youngest gold medallist in the 200-meter sprint. Two years later, when the competition was held in Osaka, she beat Campbell to hold on to her title.

In 2008, Felix competed in the 200-meter at the Summer Olympics in Beijing. Felix won her first gold medal during those games with her participation in the 4 x 400-meter relay. She finished in second place in the 200-meter individual race, once again behind Campbell.

In the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, 23-year-old Felix won her third gold medal in the 200-meter, beating champion Campbell. In 2010, Felix became the first person to win two IAAF Diamond League trophies in one year, winning in both the 200-meter and the 400-meter. Felix competed in four events in the 2011 World Championships in Athletics: the 200-meter, the 400-meter, the 4 x 100-meter relay and the 4 x 400-meter relay. Team USA won gold in both relays, and Felix won silver in the 400 and bronze in the 200

In 2012, Felix competed in her third Olympics. She competed in four events: the 200-meter, 100-meter, 4 x 100-meter relay and 4 x 400-meter relay. She finished fifth in the 100-meter, and first in the 200-meter, beating long-time rival Campbell.

In the 2015 World Championships in Athletics, Felix chose to compete in the 400-meter race. She finished first, winning her first gold medal in the event. Team USA won silver in both the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relays.

At the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Felix came away with two more gold medals (both in the relays) and a silver (400-meter). In 2017, Felix added three more medals to her World Championship tally, bringing her up to 16. She competed in two relays, winning gold in both, and won bronze for the 400-meter.

After a dispute in 2019 with her sponsor, Nike, over her treatment post-pregnancy, Felix parted ways with the corporation and signed a multi-year apparel deal with Gap and Athleta. Later that year, Felix competed in her eighth World Championships, winning two gold medals.

Felix competed in her fifth Olympics in 2021 in Tokyo. Felix won bronze in the 400-meter and gold in the 4 x 400 final. This medal established Felix as the most decorated American track and field athlete in Olympic history. She announced that this would be her last Olympics, as she plans to retire before 2024.

ALLYSON FELIX BIOGRAPHY: INTERVIEW ON COVID-19, TOKYO 2020

In April of 2021, Felix spoke about training for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics in the midst of a pandemic, as well as her thoughts on the games.

According to Felix, learning that the games would be postponed was one of the hardest moments of the pandemic. “As an athlete, everything is timing,” she said. “And for me personally, I feel like my family had made a lot of sacrifices for me to be able to have this opportunity, and so for it not to go according to plan… was really difficult.” Luckily, Felix was able to “take that time to [her] advantage and just get stronger and better and continue to move forward.”

In terms of mental health, Felix explained that the pandemic showed her how much of a priority it should be. She described to uSports her routine for staying grounded and prioritizing her mental health.

“I try, starting each day… with my gratitude journal and just jotting down things I’m grateful for. A lot of times that’s family, health, all those things that we’re seeing a lot of people struggle with, and that really centers me,” she said.

Speaking about her training process, Felix mentioned the challenges of training in Los Angeles due to the restrictions. She described to uInterview the novel experience of training in her own neighborhood, with her neighbors coming out to watch her and her coach, Bob Kersee.

“We’ve trained on the street, we’ve trained on the beach, we’ve trained on San Vicente,” said Felix. “Thankfully, Bobby’s been really great at navigating us through this process… as long as there’s a surface to run on, we’re running.” Catch Felix’s full description of her training process at the top of the page.

Entering what would be the fifth Olympics of her career, Felix explained that “it takes a lot to kind of ruffle my feathers now, and I know what to expect… I’m able to train much smarter.”

Coming in with so much experience, both in the Olympics in particular and in her almost two-decade-long career, Felix explained that she was much more conditioned emotionally which let her focus on the technical aspect of the competition.

“It’s almost a great place to be, just having that benefit of having done this for several years now. I know when things are going well, when things aren’t, and what I need to adjust,” she said.

This would also be Felix’s first Olympics after having given birth in 2018. While it took a period of time for Felix to return to her previous standard, she explained, “This is probably the best that I’ve felt after giving birth, and so I’m really excited about that and excited just to feel like myself again.”

The athlete confirmed with uSports that she planned on this being her final Olympics.

ALLYSON FELIX BIOGRAPHY: PERSONAL LIFE

Felix is married to Kenneth Ferguson, an American sprinter and hurdler. The pair have a daughter, Camryn, who was born in 2018.

ALLYSON FELIX BIOGRAPHY: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ON MOTHERHOOD

Entering her first Olympics as a mother, Felix spoke with uInterview about the joys and challenges of balancing motherhood with her athletic career.

“Being Cammy’s mom is the number one job that I have,” she explained. “It’s my biggest accomplishment.” Felix also explained how motherhood came with its own set of challenges, but her daughter provided the inspiration and motivation necessary to overcome them.

“She’s really helped me find my voice and allow me to do things bigger than wanting to run fast, so I’m just so grateful for the blessing she is, and excited as we get closer for her to be able to experience all this.”

Check out the full interview below.

Jessica Long is a Russian-American Paralympic swimmer. Born with fibular hemimelia, Long had her lower legs amputated at 18 months old. She has won 23 Paralympic medals in the S8, SB7, and SM3 category events.

JESSICA LONG BIOGRAPHY: EARLY LIFE AND ADOPTION

Jessica Long was born on February 29, 1992 (Jessica Long age: 29). Long, originally named Tatiana Olegovna Kirillova, was born in Brantz, Russia, to parents aged 16 and 17. Unequipped to deal with her disability, her parents put Long up for adoption. At 13 months old, Long was adopted by Americans Beth and Steve Long. She started her new life in Baltimore, Maryland. The Longs also adopted her brother, Joshua, from the same orphanage at the same time. At 18 months, her legs were amputated in order to fit her for prosthetics, which would give her more mobility. This was the first of 25 surgeries Long had to go through as she grew up. Her adoptive parents encouraged her to try sports, and she especially excelled at swimming.

Long has five adoptive siblings – Joshua, Steven, Amanda, Hannah and Grace.

JESSICA LONG BIOGRAPHY: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ON CHALLENGES FACED

Long spoke exclusively with uInterview in 2012 about some of the struggles she’s faced as a Paralympic athlete.

“I think with being a Paralympic athlete, we’re going to face challenges,” she said. “We already have our whole lives. For me, it’s been my legs, with surgeries throughout growing up.”

Long endured an astounding 25 surgeries throughout her childhood and career as her body grew. Despite the magnitude of her trials, the Paralympian had a message of positivity from her experiences.

“I’ve had many surgeries on my legs, many things that have come in my way, blocked my goal… You just have to overcome them, and still have faith, and continue to push on.”

The swimmer, who has won 23 medals at the Paralympic Games, described how she had appendicitis a week before the Paralympic trials in 2008.

“There’s just so many different things that can come, and you never know if anything can happen,” Long said. “It’s really just looking past it and understanding that it’s all part of a plan.”

Check out the full interview at the top of the page.

JESSICA LONG BIOGRAPHY: CAREER

Long joined her first competitive team in 2002. In 2003, she was named Maryland Swimming’s Female Swimmer of the Year with a Disability. In 2004, Long made her Paralympic debut at the Athens Paralympic Games. Despite being just 12 years old and having only swum competitively for two years, she won three gold medals (the 100-meter freestyle, the 400-meter freestyle, and the 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay.

Long broke her first two world records in 2005 during the U.S. Paralympics Open Swimming Championships, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She won five gold medals and a bronze medal and was named swimmer of the meet.

She broke two more world records in the 100-meter butterfly and the 200-meter individual medley in the 2006 Blaze Sports Georgia Open. Also in 2006, Long competed in the International Paralympic Committee Swimming World Championships in Durban, South Africa. She won nine gold medals in seven individual events and two relays and broke five world records. She received several honors that year, including the U.S. Olympic Committee Paralympian of the Year, the AAU James E. Sullivan Award (of which she was the first Paralympian recipient), Disabled Swimmer of the Year by Swimming World magazine, and USA Swimming’s Disability Swimmer of the Year. For a second time, she broke both the 100-meter butterfly and 200-meter individual medley world records – this time at the Belgian Open.

In the 2007 Spring Can-Am Swimming Championships in Montreal, Canada, Long broke the world record in the 200-meter backstroke, 400-meter individual medley and the 800-meter freestyle. She broke another three world records (50-meter butterfly, 200-meter freestyle and 1500-meter freestyle) in GTAC Disability Open at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. She won first place in six individual events at the 2007 U.S. Paralympics Open Swimming Championships, coming in second in the 50-meter freestyle. Also in 2007, Long was the recipient of the ESPN Best Female Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award and was selected for a second time as USA Swimming’s Disability Swimmer of the Year.

In 2008, Long broke her 18th world record in the S8 100-meter butterfly at the Can-Am Championships in Victoria. Later that year, Long competed in the Beijing Paralympic Games, where she won four gold medals (breaking three more world records), a silver medal and a bronze medal. She was also the 2008 recipient of the Juan Antonio Samaranch IOC Disabled Athlete Award.

In 2009, Long won seven gold medals in the Spring Can-Am Championships in Gresham, Oregon. In the Summer Can-Am Championships in Edmonton, Alberta, Long again won seven gold medals and broke the world record for the S8 100-meter breaststroke. In the 2009 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming World Championships 25m in Rio de Janeiro, Long won a staggering four gold medals, each of which was a world-record-breaking swim. She also won four silver medals.

At the 2010 Can-Am National Championships in San Antonio, Texas, Long won six gold medals. She followed up this performance with seven gold medals and two new world records in International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming World Championships in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.

2011 was a big year for the already incredibly accoladed swimmer. She won nine gold medals and broke four world records in the Pan Pacific Para Swimming Championships in Edmonton, Canada. Long followed that up with six gold medals in the Can-Am Open Swimming Championship in La Mirada, California. For the third time, Swimming World magazine named her Disabled Swimmer of the Year.

Back at her third Paralympic Games, this time in London, Long won five gold medals, two silver medals, and a bronze medal. She was a recipient for the second time of the ESPN Best Female Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award and was also named U.S. Paralympic SportsWoman of the Year by the United States Olympic Committee.

Not slowing down, Long won three gold medals in the 2013 U.S. Paralympics Spring Swimming Nationals/Can-Am. She also competed in the 2013 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming World Championships in Montreal, winning three gold medals (breaking the world record in the 100-meter butterfly), a silver medal and a bronze medal. She received her third ESPN Best Female Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award.

Soon after her 22nd birthday, Long won four gold medals at the 2014 U.S. Paralympics Spring Swimming Nationals/Can-Am in Miami, Florida. Later that year, she won six gold medals and two silver medals at the Pan Pacific Para-Swimming Championships in Pasadena, California. She was also named the 2014 Para-Swimming Female Athlete of the Year by the swimming news website SwimSwam.

Thirteen years into her competitive swimming career, Long won four gold medals and three silver medals in the 2015 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. She was also selected for the fourth time as the USA Swimming’s Disability Swimmer of the Year.

Returning to Rio de Janeiro in 2016 for the Paralympic Summer Games, Long won one gold medal, three silver medals, and two bronze medals.

In June of 2021, the US announced that Long would be one of the 34 Paralympians competing in the delayed 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo.

JESSICA LONG BIOGRAPHY: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ON DAILY RITUALS

Long spoke exclusively with uInterview about her daily routine in preparation for the Paralympic Games. Long said she wakes up early, starting her day with training in the pool from seven to nine a.m. Afterward, she eats breakfast with the team.

Her next step is “dry land abs,” which are important for swimmers, and then “stretching after the morning workout.” She breaks up this rigorous morning with a nap. The next event is weight training for an hour, followed by another two-hour practice. She finishes the day off with yoga or pilates, before heading to bed around 9 p.m.

Long explained that in order to keep up with this grueling regimen, “you really gotta love it. If you don’t love it, it can feel like the day goes on forever.” Luckily, Long assured uInterview, “I love it, I love what I do, and I love getting stronger every day, and just feeling a difference.”

Long also described the rituals she has on race days to get in the right state of mind.

“Each race is different, each race I have a plan. Certain warm-ups, certain this, certain that,” she said. “For me, something that my team and I… do a lot of is mental prep.” Mental prep, according to Long, is a combination of visualizing and deep breathing techniques that allows them to calm down and concentrate more deeply on their performance.

“We each have our own little rituals, and for me, I love visualizing my race,” Long explained. “There are times where I put in my headphones and I’m just dancing around, visualizing doing the butterfly.”

JESSICA LONG BIOGRAPHY: PERSONAL LIFE

In 2013, Long made the decision to travel to Russia to meet her birth parents, Natalia and Oleg Valtyshev. The two had ended up getting married after putting Long up for adoption and had three more children together, one of whom was diagnosed with infantile cerebral paralysis. Her parents had no idea of her athletic achievements and worldwide fame.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqWG5_7nwyk

On October 11 of 2019, Long married Lucas Winters, who she had been dating for four years.

April Ross is an American professional beach volleyball player. She has competed in three Summer Olympics (2012 with Jennifer Kessy, 2016 with Kerri Walsh Jennings, and 2021 with Alix Klineman), winning a silver medal in 2012 and bronze in 2016.

APRIL ROSS BIOGRAPHY: AGE, EARLY LIFE, FAMILY, EDUCATION

April Ross was born on June 20, 1982 (April Ross age: 39). She was born in Costa Mesa, California, and grew up in Newport Beach. She attended Newport Harbor High School, where she played varsity track and indoor volleyball – eventually becoming the nation’s top recruit in her graduating class for the latter sport. Ross also played on the club volleyball team Orange County Volleyball for five years.  As a senior, she won the Gatorade National Player of the Year Award and was also named the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Player of the Year in 1998 and 1999. During this time, Ross also played on the U.S. Junior National Team.

Ross attended the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where she played indoor volleyball. In her freshman year, she was named the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year as well as the National Freshman of the Year. That year, USC volleyball made it to the NCAA Final Four. As a junior and a senior, she helped USC volleyball win back-to-back NCAA titles. In 2004, Ross was awarded the Honda Sports Award – an award given annually to the best female collegiate volleyball player.

APRIL ROSS BIOGRAPHY: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ON SWITCHING TO BEACH VOLLEYBALL

While Ross played indoor volleyball throughout her high school and college career, beach volleyball was the place where she truly found her calling. Ross spoke exclusively with uInterview about making the switch from indoor volleyball to beach.

After college, Ross began playing professional indoor volleyball, However, she described starting to feel “very beat up.” “My knees broke down on me, my shoulder, I couldn’t swing at the ball anymore,” Ross told uSports in 2012.

For a period of time after that Ross actually gave up volleyball, and took a job hostessing. As she put it, “[figuring] out how to make a living outside of volleyball.” That didn’t last long, however. A former teammate from USC called her up and recommended she try out beach volleyball.

“I was terrible,” Ross recalled. “I don’t know why I liked it, because I usually only like things that I’m good at, but I think it was just being out on the beach, and the culture. It was a ton of fun, and I stuck with it and finally got better and better.” In Ross’s words, it was simply “a matter of fate.”

Beach volleyball was definitely a transition for Ross. “You have to think for yourself on the beach,” Ross explained. “You don’t have a coach on the sidelines yelling at you, telling you what to do, subbing you out if you’re not playing the way he wants you to. If you’re not playing good enough to win… you gotta figure out how to do something to beat the opponent.”

In addition to a mentality change, the rules of beach volleyball are different than indoor. In beach volleyball, players have to touch the ball every other time. According to Ross, this means you can’t be “hidden” in the same way as in indoor. “You have to be working on all your skills, all the time.”

Additionally, beach volleyball matches are two out of three, whereas indoor in three out five. For Ross, that means “you can make less mistakes” on the beach than in indoor.

Watch the full interview at the top of the page.

APRIL ROSS BIOGRAPHY: CAREER

In 2008, Ross and Kessy competed in Swatch FVIB World Tour – an international beach volleyball competition. They finished in third place at the ConocoPhillips Grand Slam Stavanger, second place at the Dubai Open and first place Phuket Thailand Open. Later that year, Ross and Kessy defeated world champion duo Misty May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings at an AVP tournament in Santa Barbara. In July of 2009, Ross and Kessy won the FIVB World Championships in Stavanger, Norway. In 2012, they were named the AVP Team of the Year.

In 2012, Ross and Kessy competed in the London Olympics as the No. 4 seed. They lost in the championship round to Treanor and Walsh Jennings, taking home the silver medal. Ross and Walsh Jennings partnered up in 2013, winning the final two FIVB Grand Slams of 2013. In 2016, the pair competed in the Long Beach, California Grand Slam, where they won the gold medal. In the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the pair competed as the No. 3 seed. After defeating the No. 1 seed from Brazil, they took home the bronze medal. For the second time, Ross’s team was named the AVP Team of the Year.

In 2017, Ross partnered up with Alix Klineman. In their first tournament, the 2018 FIVB Dela Beach Open, the pair won first place. Ross and Klineman won four events in the 2019 AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour. Later that year, the pair won their second FIVB tournament event at the Yangzhou Open and were named the AVP team of the year.

In 2019, the pair won the Huntington Beach and New York City Open AVP tour events, the FIVB Itapema Open, and won the silver medal at the 2019 Beach Volleyball World Championships in Hamburg, Germany.

In July of 2020, Ross and Klineman won the AVP Monster Hydro Cup, the Wilson Cup and the AVP Champions Cup.

APRIL ROSS BIOGRAPHY: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ON HEALTH, HABITS

In 2012, Ross explained to uInterview that to prepare for the London Olympics, Ross and Kessi “looked at everything we did, as far as how we practice, how and we train… and how we eat.” Diet was an important factor for the pair, and Ross described how they “changed [their] diet a lot. Cut out a lot of carbs, cut out a lot of sugars, started eating more natural, more organic, just as healthy and clean as possible.” She mentioned that despite this strict plan, she made sure to go to a big dinner once a week and treat herself to something “really yummy.”

When asked about her morning ritual, Ross explained that she and Kessi like to take some time in the morning to relax.

“We like to have at least 45 minutes where we can drink our coffee and kind of relax,” she said. “And we try not to rush, because if you’re rushing at breakfast you’re just going to end up rushing the rest of the day.”

Watch the full interview at the top of the page.

APRIL ROSS BIOGRAPHY: PERSONAL LIFE

Ross was married to beach volleyball player Brad Keenan from 2010 to 2018.