“Take your victories, whatever they may be, cherish them, use them, but don't settle for them.”

– Mia Hamm

On the fourth day of Women's History Month, we are celebrating one of the biggest trailblazers in women's sports. Mia Hamm is a former professional soccer player for the United States. She joined the United States Women's National Team (USWNT) at the age of 15 and was a member of the 1991 USWNT that won the very first Women's World Cup. 

Hamm played college soccer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1989 to 1993. She won four NCAA Championships in the five years that she was there (she redshirted one year). In the 95 games she played with the Tar Heels, Hamm only lost one game. She was a 3x ACC Player of the Year, 2x ACC Female Athlete of the Year, and was named the ACC's greatest athlete of the conference's first 50 years alongside Michael Jordan. She scored a total of 103 goals and had 72 assists in her college career. 

Mia Hamm retired in 2004 at the age of 32 after the 2004 Olympic Games. She finished her career with a world record at the time of 158 goals. She won two World Cups, two Olympic gold medals, and one Olympic silver medal. 

Mia Hamm knows a thing or two about victories. Her quote above tells us that it's hard to get to the top, but it's even harder to stay there. Don't settle for anything when you have further to go. You are allowed to celebrate your achievements but don't stop there.