Hope Solo

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"If you truly expect to realize your dreams, abandon the need for blanket approval. If conforming to everyone's expectations is the number one goal, you have sacrificed your uniqueness, and therefore your excellence."( "Biography."  Hope Solo). Hope Solo is the first person to know that nothing is ever given to you, you have to work for it, and once you have put your mind, heart and soul into what you are doing you will come out a winner. U.S Women's National team goalkeeper Hope Amelia Solo was born on July 30, 1981("Biography" A Hope Solo a) in Richland, Washington. At an early age Hope developed a love for athletics, enjoying basketball, snowboarding, and volleyball in addition to soccer. From 1996 to 1999, Hope competed as a forward for Richland High School Bombers. In 1999, Hope went to play for the University of Washington Huskies where she switched to the goalkeeper position. Hope had a rough childhood, because her father left her family when she was six years old but even through the hard times she manged to get to the top. Due to her determination, strength and her care for others, Hope Solo truly deserves to be called a hero.

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Hope Solo is very caring, she and her team are involved with various charities and she loves to volunteer her time and help kids in need and she also helps train national team goalies on her free time. She is very giving and she loves to help everyone and she puts people before herself. "Soccer stars Abby Wambach, Hope Solo and Alex Morgan to serve as spokespeople for a charitable program that will play an integral role in the 2011 Bank of America Chicago Marathon."(Bank of America Teams with U.S. Women's Soccer Stars for Lead Special Charitable Program.) Hope Solo and her close friends Alex Morgan and Abby Wambach are giving back and helping Bank of America Chicago Marathon and help raising money for kids in need.  The Money will go to kids in need all around the world. They have the Chicago Marathon every year and in 2011 Hope Solo and her friends help raise more than 70,000 dollars and this money will be donated to various charities for kids all around the world. Hope not only helped the Chicago Marathon but she and her U.S.A Women's soccer team helped other foundations. "Hope Solo, goalie for the US Women's National Soccer Team, will be spending time during the World Cup volunteering with local South African communities. She along with Kia McNeill close friend will be working with The Team up Exchange, a partnership of Grassroot Soccer in Soweto, South Africa and The Grassroot Project in Washington, DC."(Bank of America Teams with U.S. Women's Soccer Stars for Lead Special Charitable Program) Even with all the pressure with the world cup, Hope found time to go to some communities in South Africa and help kids bringing them toys, clothes and much more. Solo was helping kids that live in orphanages because she knows how it feels to not have a parent around. Hope cares for people before herself she, went out to South America during world cup to see kids in need and help them, she raised money for kids this is just one way Hope is a hero.

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Another trait that Hope has is strength, Hope went through a lot during her childhood and adulthood but every event that happened in her life made her a stronger person and the person she is today. "Hope Solo's father left her family when she was very young. He was homeless, and lived a challenging life."("Hope Solo."Almanac) Even though Mr. Solo wasn't in Hope's life he made an effort when she got in to college to come to every one of her soccer game.  Mr. Solo tried to make up for the lost years that he didn't spend with his daughter. Hope had to have a lot of strength to push herself to do anything she wanted because she didn't have that extra person her "dad" to tell her to go for what you want. Not having a father for most of her life was difficult but in 2007 was not a year Solo likes to remember. Solo finally became starting goalie for U.S.A Women's soccer team, training hard for the 2007 World cup but a couple weeks before flying over to China for the quarterfinals Hope's father passed away from a heart attack and to put more pressure on things."This was the low point for Solo. She had started in goal the first four games of the tournament and had posted shutouts in the previous three. Then she was surprisingly benched by then-coach Greg Ryan, who said he preferred to go with veteran Briana Scurry and her greater experience against Brazil."(Longman, Jere.). After losing the game to Brazil 4-0, Hope was being interviewed and she said "There is no doubt in my mind I could have saved those goals."(Longman, Jere.)  Her team heard about what she had said and her team didn't give her any more respect. Every day walking into practice and having no one want you to be a part of the team, feeling in an awkward place. Maybe the coach didn't want to put more pressure on her by putting her in the game, but she had a lot of strength to say what she said and she doesn't regret it. She is going to keep trying harder and harder until her ex coach knows that he made the wrong decision not playing her in that game.

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Along with Hope's caring for others and strength that put her on top she is also very determined. Every day Solo pushes to be her best.  Determination got her far and never giving up is what she did so she is proud when people call her best goalkeeper. "Her right shoulder is still sore from surgery in September to repair a torn labrum. She grimaces during warm-ups, during the games, wind milling her arm as if stretching in the bullpen."("Hope Solo." Gale). After nine months in the hospital going through physical therapy, Hope Solo was ready to train again and get ready for the next World cup in 2011. Even though Hope was in a lot of pain from her surgery she was determined to get back in the game and wanted to get better. "But Solo will be back in goal for the squad's first post-Mia Hamm Olympics, and she'll have a shot to redeem herself and her team the U.S. soft ballers face a taller challenge."(Moore, David Leon.) Solo has been working hard and ready to redeem herself against Brazil in 2011 World Cup. Solo and her team had succeeded and won against Brazil in penalty kicks 5-3." ("Biography" A Hope Solo a). Hope has redeemed herself and she won against Brazil, the team where she was benched four years ago. She can now prove to her ex coach in 2007 that if he had put her in that game they would have won and got to the next round, the finals. Solo never gave up.  Even after her surgery she still put out 100% of her effort and it paid off in the end , the U.S Women's soccer team may have not won the finals but they did get second place. Hope will get them there with her determination, strength, caring for others and the support of her fans.

Throughout Hope's life she shows that she is very caring and she has a lot of strength for the events that she has overcome she is determined and never gives up on what she wants. Solo is not just a hero to me but she is a hero to many people around the world. By bringing her U.S. Women's soccer team to the finals for the first time since 1999, people all around the world call her a hero. She not only brought her team to the world cup but she does a lot of charity work. Hope loves to volunteers her time to help kids in need, but she and her soccer team like to travel to different countries to help clean and donate toys, clothing, food and much more. Throughout the journey of Hope Solo's life you are going to see what she went through, but it was all worth it because she is a successful women and she is inspiring people more every day.

Work Cited

"Hope Solo."Almanac of Famous People. Gale, 2011. Gale Biography in Context. Web. 30 Apr. 2012.

"Hope Solo." Gale Biography in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2008. Gale Biography In Context. Web. 30 Apr. 2012.

"Leg injury may keep Solo out of U.S. game." Globe & Mail [Toronto, Canada] 26 Jan. 2012: S5. Gale Biography In Context. Web. 8 May 2012.

Longman, Jere. "A Comeback Of Her Own." New York Times 13 July 2011: B11 (L). Gale Biography In Context. Web. 8 May 2012.

"Biography." Hope Solo Official Website Goalkeeper for Team USA and Magic Jack. Apr.-May 2012. Web. 17 May 2012.

"Bank of America Teams with U.S. Women's Soccer Stars for Lead Special Charitable Program." Entertainment Close-up 27 July 2011. Gale Biography In Context. Web. 9 May 2012.

Biography." Hope Solo Official Website Goalkeeper for Team USA and MagicJack. Apr.-May 2012. Web. 17 May 2012.

Moore, David Leon. "Ex-rebel Solo shines in goal." USA Today 8 July 2011: 08C. Gale Biography In Context. Web. 10 May 2012.