Mia Hamm

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My hero is Mia Hamm. She is one of the most influential people in my life and one of the greatest names in soccer. Mia Hamm is strong both physically and mentally. She has overcome emotional and physical difficulties to become who she is today. Mia Hamm is the type of person who never gives up and that is why she is my hero.

My hero is Mariel Margraret Hamm, also known as Mia Hamm. She was born in Selma, Alabama, on March 17,1972. When she was born, she had a birth defect called clubfoot. She had casts on her feet to correct it and as soon as they were taken off, you could not stop her. When she was young, her family moved a lot. At age two, she moved to Italy where she dicovered soccer for the first time. At age five, she moved again, this time to Texas. Her parents adopted an eight year old boy named Garett, who not only became Mia's brother but her best friend as well. Mia also joined her first soccer team at age five. As she played, her passion and talent for soccer grew.

When Mia was fifteen, she joined the U.S. Women's National Team. She was the youngest member on the team but also one of the best. In 1992 and 1993 she received the All-American and ACC Player of the Year Award. Her brother, Garett died a few years later of a rare bone marrow disease. Because of her brother's death, she founded the Mia Hamm foundation to support research on bone marrow diseases. She is now retired and lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina with her husband, Nomar Garciaparra and her twin daughters, Grace and Ava. She has made a difference in the eyes of many children, including me. She has taught me to never give up and to follow my dreams. She has also changed the way many people look at women's sports.

Mia Hamm is the kind of person that everyone wants to be around. She is positive towards both herself and others. She never gives up and will let nothing stand in the way of her goals. She puts one hundred and ten percent into everything she does. But she is not cocky and does not want to take a lot of credit even when she deserves it. I look up to Mia Hamm as a role model because she is a great soccer player but also a modest and good person who has taught me to never give up and believe in myself. My dream is to be a pro soccer player and thanks to Mia Hamm, I believe that I can do anything I set my mind to.

Mia Hamm is many things. She is a hero, a leader, a role model, and an athlete. Most importantly, she is a person just like you and me. She worked hard in her life and was rewarded with success and fame. Mia Hamm is living proof that if you work really hard and never give up, you can achieve your goals, and that is why she is my hero.