Kelley O’Hara on her retirement decision, hopes for this final season, and her legacy | Friendlies

On this week’s Friendlies, Sam invites her good friend, USWNT and Gotham FC star, Kelly O’Hara to the pod! In this emotional and personal conversation, Kelley discusses her retirement announcement, what she’ll miss from the game, and how she’s hoping to be remembered. Sam and Kelley also reminisces about their post 2019 World Cup win shenanigans.

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hi everybody and welcome to the women’s game today’s guest is the one and only Kelly O’Hara I am so grateful to Kelly for agreeing to do this interview and for being so open and honest about what she’s going through right now we talk a lot about her current injury and her retirement which she announced a few weeks ago and will be at the conclusion of her season with Gotham this year I’m really happy that we get to share interviews like this I think it’s really important for fans and players alike to hear what Kelly has to say okay everybody BRAC yourselves this is a really great interview but it’s also really emotional here is my really good friend Kelly [Music] O’Hara I am so happy to have one of my good friends Kelly O’Hara here with me today on friendlies Kelly is a two-time World Cup champion and an Olympic gold medalist she’s won the NB cell both with the Washington spirit and with Gotham FC Kelly recently announced that she will retire from soccer at the end of her season with Gotham this year after playing 15 years professionally Kelly is known to her teammates as a true competitor one who upholds the highest standards for both herself and everyone around her she hates losing she loves cortat and she’s one of the most incredible teammates I’ve ever had thanks to her contagious and genuine will to win Miss Kelly welcome to the show Miss Samuel thank you for having me thank you for the intro you nailed it h thank you so much I put a lot of work into it how are you doing um you put a lot of work into it um I’m doing all right you know I’m I’m doing okay today it’s beautiful it’s sunny in Jersey today so it’s a good day good I’m so glad here it’s sunny here too so we’re not really very far apart in spirit no we aren’t okay well I want to get right into it so Kelly you recently announced that this will be your last year as a professional soccer player how did it feel for you to make that announcement honestly it felt good to make that announcement to make the announcement I had been thinking about it for a while I knew this was going to be my last year for a bit um and so for me it was like the the public announcement of it was kind of like a weight off my shoulders um I just wanted it to be out there because I knew that this was my last year and I didn’t want to keep like you know tiptoeing around around the subject or people wondering or asking and not really um knowing what to say and I I feel like I’m very forthcoming and like don’t really I I always want to be as transparent as I possibly can so for me it was kind of like I was excited to to announce it because I’m very at peace with it and yeah I just I needed it to be out there done with it was like I need to like get it done yeah I can relate to that a little bit I feel like when there was a period of time between when I knew I was going to retire and when I announced it and whenever I’d have to have that conversation like well when are you going to be back on the field I’d be like I’m not so when I I’m not so when I finally like made it like public and could openly talk about the whole thing and how hard it had been I felt such a sense of relief what was the response like for you like how did your anybody who didn’t already know so maybe more like fans or or friends further outside your closed Circle what was that response like did anything surprise you about that um no it was it was very sweet and kind and I felt very loved and supported and just um you know I I felt a lot of gratitude for the response that it got and yeah I think it was kind of like again it for me this has been the biggest part of my life for so long and I think it was kind of like getting to a place of having it out there and just like being able to talk openly about it if that makes sense like you said like people would ask questions and and you didn’t know what to say and so for me I was just like yeah I want to be I want to get that out there and and yeah people were were so kind so sweet um very thoughtful messages sent and um you know it meant a lot to see that kind of response yeah um you said in your retirement announcement that it was the physical piece that’s been the deciding factor for you since your heart you still love playing so much can you tell us a little bit about this like where you’re at with your body and why you’re feeling like this is the right step for you I feel like people start asking you if you’re going to retire like when you’re 30 you know you you you reach 30 and people are like so when you hanging it up and I think that in having that start to happen I kind of had to think about it myself and it wasn’t something I’d really considered because you you know when I feel like when you’re going through it you you think you’ll play forever but then the reality is you will not and so for me I was like what will be the deciding factor around being done and I knew what the conditions were for me to play and that’s always been if I love it and still love it and if I physically can like I always wanted to be able to play how I’ve always played and I kind we’ve talked about this like I I I came to the realization quickly that like I’m going to love this forever and I feel like I as my career has gone on I’ve loved it more and more but and even when I came to that conclusion I was like oh my body will last forever too you know and I I think that it’s kind of like Karma that it didn’t and doesn’t because I think that you know as athletes we’re like oh yeah we we just are these physical people that think we can do this forever and then sometimes you get let down or you have to realize that it’s not in the cards to physically be able to do this the way that you want to um for the rest of your life so yeah physically so wow I’m like really going off I’m not locked you’re not at all it’s it’s great I okay so physically where I’m at my knee has been bad for like two years plus who knows how long um but really like identified like oh this is something that is going to be probably what makes you have to stop playing soccer and I had that conversation with the doctor last December so like going into 2023 and the Doctor Who I you know really trusted and and I’ve I’ve worked with throughout my career he was like it doesn’t look good in there but um and you can you know I think that you can play but it’s also retirement is an option you know like you’ve done everything you can and you’ve achieved everything you possibly could imagine so think about give retirement a thought and for me I wasn’t ready at that point at all and I was floored by that kind of assessment by him and so you know I went through last year and that was getting back on the field after rehabbing my knee and then um I felt like I could play another year and I had another year on my co my contract with Gotham and I wanted to to keep playing but the reality is it’s like start of the Season strong and um right now not in a great place but we’re trying to figure it out hoping hoping that um I can get back on the field yeah thank you for sharing all that um I’m going to like dive a little deeper into some of what you just said if you’re comfortable with that when the doctor said it doesn’t look good in there is there anything that you can share with us about what that means or what that feels like for you yeah I mean it’s I just have a significant amount of cartilage damage in my knee and the reality is listen kids take care of your cushies that’s what I got to tell the people out there like cartilage is the one thing that you really can’t heal or like regrow I mean there are some surgeries that if you’re younger they try to do um and can sometimes be successful but the reality is cartilage is the one thing that doctors haven’t really cracked the cat on gone um and you can’t really replace it so once it’s gone it’s kind of gone um so that is what he was saying and and for me it’s I have carage damage on both sides of um The Joint so tibia and femur so it’s just kind of like rubbing against each other so yeah and I had no idea like my knee had been kind of bothering me for a bit I was like oh it’s like gets a little achy sore whatever and then when he was like yeah it’s not looking good in there I was really surprised by uh that that uh diagnosis I would say yeah well unfortunately I’m very familiar with that the conversation that you had with the doctor where retirement is suggested I had that conversation several times throughout the last couple years that I was like trying to play I still remember sitting in Austin with you at what is that place called two hands coffee do you remember this yeah we were sitting at the counter and you this is when you know things weren’t going well with your knee and you were trying to rehab you’re trying to come back I think you had had a surgery and you looked at me and were like I might never play soccer again and I I like you’re like this might be what what makes like I might have to retire and I was so shocked by that and I just remember feeling terrible for you and like the the the enormity of that statement and the fact that there was really not you know you you were trying everything you possibly could but you would you had already you had gotten to this place of thinking like this might never happen again yeah there’s my gosh there’s so many places we could go with this conversation because I think that moment that you’re referring to like those were some of the hardest moments was telling other people the the truth that was starting to dawn on me that not only had my knee been feeling this way for a long time but I had was told from several doctors to start thinking about my future as a healthy adult and the and this is what I where I wanted to take this next was yeah it was so hard for you and for my other soccer friends and for my family and friends to accept that there was no answer and that I I had to start thinking well how am I going to feel when I’m 35 40 45 do I need to get a knee replacement now and I was nearing that stage where I had such worn down cartilage where a knee replacement was possibly on the table at 30 and so when all these doctors that I talk to and I know this is part of your conversation when they start saying you have a whole life to live after this how does that feel to have to weigh your passion and love for the game that you’re playing right now with the whole rest of your life and this idea that you might not be able to be as active as you want well what interesting it’s like I feel like when you’re younger you hear people talk about athletes that give everything to their career including their the physical side of their body and they they’re like oh you know you want to be able to walk when you’re 40 you know for baseball play like you want to be able to like pick up your kids like anybody who’s upper body or like Hand Sports and you know when you’re younger you’re like well obviously I’ll be able to do that but now now like we both are sitting here facing this reality of like I want to be able to walk to the grocery store and back and not be an excruciating pain you know and I’m probably going to get emotional but like yeah like we it’s it’s it’s crazy that we both have found oursel in this spot and it’s really sad but I’m like hopeful like I like you said like we’re going to do what are they what’s it called aqua Aqua bikes like swim swim bikes yeah it’s just it’s just like it’s so it’s it’s such a it’s such a bummer like I don’t even know how to put it but that I am like I I’m absolutely weighing quality of life post soccer in that that was a big reason why I was like this is it like if I can get it through this year that would be awesome and at this point like I’ve obviously hit a road bump and I’m hoping to make it back but the reality is like I I want to be able to to live life and experience life and do all the things that like I looked forward to doing post playing because for me like living an active lifestyle is so important and like I I’m an activities girl like I want to be able to like go for a jog like play play some tennis like do those things go for a hike like do those things and and be actually be able to do them and not be pain every day but and I’m hoping that’s that’s possible but it’s it’s really sad and and scary honestly I know it is it is really sad and I’m like going to get emotional now too thinking about this for you I think as somebody who’s kind of on the other side of it and is dealing with knee pain still a lot I want to protect all of you guys all my friends who have any injury I want to like wrap you up in bubble tape and like make sure that you don’t get into to the same situation but I’m also really curious if you blame anybody or would have changed anything I think an exercise that I had to go through was like well would I have modified my load so much that I didn’t make the World Cup team in 2019 and every time I go back to that I go no so I I look back and I’m I wouldn’t give that up for anything but I do Harbor some resentment against like almost the system that put me in a position to do permanent damage to my body and I wonder if that’s a feeling you can relate to at all if does do you have any distrust for the medical people who were taking care of us no but I don’t I think that everybody is trying to do the best they can I think that and again each case is unque and different um I like you said like would you go back and do anything differently I’m like should I have retired last year you know like would I be in this situation right now if I had and I and I just I think that and and like you said like 2019 should I have modified my load to not make the World Cup team and you’re like no um it’s it’s just it’s a tough one to say and I feel like I I don’t have any regrets and and the reality is it’s just like an unfortunate circumstance and thing that happened and you know at the end of the day I’m a hopeful person and I will say like chronic pain is soul crushing like you know so I’m trying to stay hopeful for like the quality of life I want post playing um but that you know that’ll be a process that’ll that remains to be seen if it’s possible um and at the end of the day you know if we have to get partial new replacement at 36 that’s what we do you know like I I I I that’s I’m like I’m just choosing to stay hopeful um and again it’s like day in and day out it’s like to me I I try to keep this mentality of like control what you can control and like right now I’m obsessive about swimming because it’s the only thing I can do that is painfree and is also workout so like I’m like addicted to it like I’m like feing for lap pools in Jersey City like trying like I feel like I’m like an addict you know like being like where can I get my next swim in um so so yeah I mean do I think there was some mismanagement Through The Years 100% um I know like when I hurt my knee and probably did the most damage and like I didn’t take any time off because people were like oh you just have a swoll and knee like it’s fine you know and and so but again can’t go back for me it’s like I can only move forward and that’s why I think as I’ve gotten later in my career I’m like so meticulous about getting to the bottom of things and being like I’m not stepping back on the field if I’m still feeling you know regard let’s take the knee out of it cuz that’s just like painful time anyway you get what I’m saying I get what you’re saying I I’m SE song about if I should even ask this question because I’m definitely going to cry when I hear your answer but I think this is going to be the hardest the hardest one make me cry I want to know what you’ll miss the most about playing I think that I’m about to start my period so that’s why this is an emotional interview literally like could not be a worse day to do this why don’t why don’t we skip it no I I’ll talk about it I mean the thing I’m going to miss the most is is the camaraderie is the people is my teammates is this like feeling of a group of people coming together for a common goal putting putting aside you know differences or ego or whatever and like achieving something together and and I’m just going to miss like the the builtin family and friendship that comes with being on a team all of the things that came before College Club Youth Soccer like high school soccer like I got to go and just shoot the with my friends every single day and like play a sport for for a job like what that is the dream like I got to live my dream and I will miss yeah I will miss the people the most for sure I know I it struck me like I missed the littlest stupidest things like I miss jug like playing a juggling game before practice like I I’m not going to sit here and be like I miss doing the Sprints and I miss the Heat and I miss running for 90 minutes but don’t you but don’t you of course I do but what I what like actually makes me sad is the little pieces of your friendship that you they don’t exist for me anymore the juggling with somebody before practice like you have to replace that with like playing a game with your friend and it’s just so rare and we used to have it every day and you saw this at my retirement party I miss eating gold fish with rose in late at night in a hotel room and it’s like I know it’s like why is that the thing and I just think that being a part of a team and traveling together and being so close and knowing that you can say anything in front of these people is like so freeing and you know that they love you for you and how crazy you were at practice and it’s like such a special thing that we got to experience and there are these just little seemingly meaningless pieces of it that I miss the most yeah no I completely agree the people for sure and like the yeah the little moments and honestly like the monotony of it sometimes like the things that people would complain about I’d be like guys this is these we’re living the good old days right now like don’t like it’s not you know enjoy the the the the things that go wrong in the moment and I don’t know embrace them because it’s it’s you’ll look back and be like oh I wish I could be back in that moment for sure and then on top of that like I love the game of soccer like I love playing soccer and I think what what makes me the most sad is that physically I don’t think I’ll ever play soccer for fun again and that’s really really sad for me but maybe I don’t know again I’m GNA stay hopeful yeah you should stay hopeful okay well in in on the page of staying hopeful I want to talk to you about who you are as a teammate this is something I wish and I think people tried to tell me this but I couldn’t really like hear it at the time who you are as a teammate all those qualities like are you and you’ll keep being all those things to your partner and your family and your friends and your co-workers in the future so I want to talk about who you are and what you think has made you such a great teammate over the years and how those qualities are going to translate into the rest of your life oh my gosh um well I’m competitive you already touched on that um I I think that will hopefully serve me well throughout life I’m I’m really good at playing like Devil’s Advocate so like hearing both sides I feel like and trying to find like a middle ground I’m also a challenger I found out there’s like a there’s a thing that um that is a personality type and it’s like out of it’s like 11 different it’s like one two three four you can be a number and I’m eight I think which is yeah but I don’t think it’s called that okay okay so you’re a challenger that sounds right yeah so so like if I’ll listen if a Coach says do this I’ll do it but like if I disagree I will voice and then to try to understand and at the end of the day it’s like we might not you might still want me to do this I might not agree but at least we got that you know sorted and I’m down to move forward because that’s in the best interest of the team um I feel like I can relate to a lot of different people like I feel like I was always friends with most people people on my team and I think that the biggest thing is that I played every role possible throughout my career in terms of starter bench warmer or no game changer um you know somebody who was going to sub on somebody who didn’t make the roster like not getting called into camps like I’ve literally played every role so I think that that allowed me to be EMP athetic to everyone because everybody’s going through something different on every team and understanding emotionally mentally what that what that does to somebody and and being able to relate to them you strike me like so you know yourself you’ve always struck me that way like I think you know yourself and you’re confident in who you are and I think that that allows you to be really thought and intentional about your decisions and who you surround yourself with and things you do to relax things you do to step away from soccer and so I feel like when I think about you having to go through this journey and retire and deal with this injury I have no fears that you won’t be able to like handle it or that you’ll it’s it’s so hard but I feel like you’re so prepared to deal with it because you know yourself and your thoughtfulness and like intentionality is going to set you up to move on and be successful in whatever you do and take all of these incredible qualities that made you such a great player into just being Kelly and doing whatever it is else that you want to do whether that’s just riding your bike Across America or being CEO or coaching the national team to win Another World Cup like you could do anything because you’re still the same person that’s very kind of you think Sam um I I hope so but I also recognize that this transition as much as I’m at PE peace with like this is it I’m done playing soccer I’m no longer a professional athlete like and I’m ready for the next stage I know that I have no idea what I’m about to go through and I am hopeful I guess it’s like the theme of this this interview is that I’m hopeful that I can handle it well but I also recognize that it might be an absolute disaster I might be a disaster like who knows I could go off the deep end I mean hopefully not but it’s just you never know so I’m very I’m again I’m hopeful but I’m not I I know that this this next stage of life is nothing that I’ve experienced before yeah I I hear that I definitely went off the deep end a little bit so I’m here for you and I will lend you any of my experiences or what not to do um but again I think that you’re so prepared I want to look back back over your career at some highlights it’s going to be a lot more fun this part of the interview so you grew up in Peach Tree City Georgia and you went to Stanford where you had kind of a dramatic end to your college career I got kicked out of my Championship undefeated senior season championship game two yellow cards have to spend the last 15 minutes of my college career in the locker room because I got a red card but that’s like also we did we not talk about this I don’t know if if we talked about this so like that that’s how I ended my college career in the locker room with a red card in on an undefeated season with sanord national championship championship game amazing college career like wouldn’t obviously I would have loved to win a championship but it is what it is national team I had the best career I I could have asked for with us team the last Touch of my career wear in that Jersey is hitting is kicking the ball to hit the post in the world cup to drop us out of the World Cup so it’s like oh I was like this is the only and again like I I probably would have gone and played other you know more minutes in that Jersey if I wouldn’t have gotten injured last fall but like that was it like that was the last thing I will have done in that Jersey and it’s just poetic you know I’m like that’s how it’s supposed to be that is how my careers go my chapters go okay well I I like literally hate that so much so let’s let’s just go all the way back to the beginning so then after you graduated from Stanford you were drafted and you played in the WPS which is the precursor League to the nwell and you got your first national team call up in 2009 do you remember where you were when you heard the news and who did you call to tell first I was stoked so um I remember where I was I was going into math 52 1 it was a hard map and um I CL yeah okay I don’t remember which one you got an email I I got an email from Cheryl Bailey that said you’re getting called into to camp and I was like over the moon I could not believe it I was so excited and I don’t remember I must have I mean I probably called my parents um but had to go into class obviously um which didn’t help me at all because I did terribly in that class um but yeah that’s where I was I remember like where I was sitting on campus right outside of the classroom that’s a really cool story I love that I think I got a text I got a text from Tim Ryder and I was like or I like I like screened his call or something cuz I was like I don’t know this number and he texted me this is Tim Ryder from the national team can you call call me back and I was like what and then yes sir yeah I’ll call you back and I remember I was in my apartment at UCLA and then I he asked me to just come to training at the Home Depot Center like the next day so I like had to call Abby doll keer and be like can I borrow your car and drive myself to the Home Depot Center tomorrow CU I like didn’t have a car at UCLA they didn’t send you a car I didn’t I don’t think I like knew to ask for that so I just was like yeah it was oh my God what what year was that what camp was that it was like 2013 in a January Camp I think and then and then you made the alar of roster yeah well right I think I did yeah with Tom surani yeah yeah and I got my first cap yeah and we lost and yeah we lost my first three caps you know that right yes it’s a woman’s f facts about you it’s my it’s a women’s national team record Aaron High Fitz to this day 0 and three for my first three caps okay we have to get back on track here Kelly okay okay okay back on Kelly 2011 you made the Women’s World Cup roster and Becky sabrun told us a really funny story on Good Vibes about when you first got into the tournament in the game and you didn’t feel like you played that well so we have the clip for you listen here and so we’re both on the bench for the first few games and then Kelly gets to play and she didn’t think she was going to see a minute of the World Cup and so she goes in and it’s it’s like it’s not her best game you know she’s she playing in attacking position she has some rough touches I’m like I’m so excited for her cuz she just she just played in a world cup and so whistle blows we actually lost the match it was group stage game and I run up to her and I’m like oh my gosh Kelly like you just like lived your dream you got to play at a World Cup and like in the most self-deprecating funny way she was like and I failed at it and that that was the like the moment I was like I think we’re going to be great friends does that bring back any memories yeah I mean I have vivid memories of that Stadium the Game actually I feel like I I guess a couple of vivid memories of the game I have vivid memories of dawn standing up walking down the bench you know that’s you know you’re like oh Don’s up she’s going to go tell somebody to warm up someone’s going in she’s this this is Don Scott the sports performance coach for the national team who would tell a sub they’re about to sub in yes so and prior to the World Cup first of all I made the World Cup because as a replacement player for Lindsay Tarpley who got injured right before so like I I I had no business going to the World Cup didn’t make didn’t make the initial roster made the final roster as like a default and pre-or cup P was like you will be going to this world cup as a practice player we need you as a cheerleader and I was likees ma’am I’m your girl whatever you need and so you know during the games I’m like I’m chilling I’m cheering like I’m putting all the Good Vibes and energy out there Don stands up I still remember walks down the bench stops in front of me I’m terrified and I’m like I’m like I’m a Cheerleader like surely you need to keep moving one way or the other like this is this is not your destination she’s like go warm up you’re gonna go in I was like like I think you’ve mistaken me for somebody else and so I obviously did and as I’m growing up I’m like oh my God I’m going to pass out like I’m so nervous and I remember standing waiting to check in and I was like you know when you start like the wall start you know the the light starts to close in I was like I I physically think I’m going to pass out because I’m so nervous to go into this game and I was like just don’t pass out right now because all the cameras are on like I know that like when someone’s subbing in like the the cameras are looking at the sideline of the you know the the center line and I was like what would happen if I just collapsed right here like I have to go into a game on camera thankfully didn’t pass out honestly it probably would have been better if I did because I played so bad we lost and I only played for like 15 minutes so it couldn’t like I was like it there wasn’t a lot of time to do as bad as I did but I somehow like maximized it and I I don’t remember saying that to Becky but I remember I got pulled for doping after the game and I’m sitting in doping control Lori Lindsay is next to me she’s like you know like Pats me on the leg or something I was like dude congrats like first World Cup game and I looked at her and I said that was the biggest epic fail of my life Dead face zero like just and she she I I’m pretty sure she cracked up laughing and I was like it’s not funny like my career is over you know oh my gosh oh um yeah so I do remember that but Kell your career was just beginning the next year well thank god well I know if we got judged based off our first national team performances my career would have been over before it even started it as well but luckily we can grow luckily we can grow into it so the next year you won the London Olympics you played every single minute of the US Women’s National teams run to the gold medal including the crazy and memorable 4 to3 semi-final against Canada and then you started the final against Japan in front of 80,000 people at Wembley what are your lasting memories of that tournament and winning the gold medal oh what a turnaround hey um I remember Jill Ellis I think she was like a assistant or something at the time came up to me post World Cup and was like P was done with you and I after my Sweden performance my 15 minutes I was like that’s it you’re like done with me and um somehow I don’t know if it was Jill or somebody like she just like P was like all right we’ll give her another chance and and in that time between end of World Cup leading into Olympics or like into 2012 that fall period P was like you’re not going to make the Olympics as a like a forward or a a Winger You’re Gonna Play if you’re GNA make the Olympics you’re gonna be an outside back it’s I was like yes ma’am whatever I have to do you know um and so that was the beginning of playing outside back playing defense and somehow pulled it together enough to play every minute of every game at the Olympics and win a gold medal and it was just like a dream come true because for me I knew soccer I knew football but like as a kid I didn’t really care about that and I don’t think it was very visible and like the thing that was most visible to me was every four years the Olympics and it was like swimming and gymnastics and track and field and the Olympics was the thing as an athlete like a professional athlete like that was the epitome of you know the the highest high that you could have and so to have a gold medal plac around my neck I was like this is this that was a childhood dream hands down oh that is so amazing um well after the after the Olympics I know you went through another injury but we’re going to skip ahead to the good stuff again we have I feel like we’ve tortured you enough with the injuries I know it was I know it was a tough one but I’m going to just skip right ahead then you went on to win the World Cup in 2015 subbing into the semi-final in the 75th minute against Germany and scoring a goal in the 84th minute to seal the game and Kelly I will never forget your face after you scored that goal I feel like it is like burned into like the happy place in my brain how much does that moment subbing on and scoring mean to you still to this day it’s it’s so cool to think back on I’m like dang again those were the good old days man like that was and it’s funny in the in the Moment Like World Cup 2015 was one of the hardest points of my career because I didn’t play until the quarterfinals didn’t see the FI didn’t didn’t get a sniff you know and I was like oh my god well 2011 obviously didn’t go well so like maybe they’re just not letting me touch the field just I’m just an Olympics girl not a World Cup girl yeah yeah exactly um so it that was that was like a huge learning experience for me and just like handling adversity and being like control what you can control get the job done if if I’m not going to see the the the field during a game like the only thing I’m doing is practicing like I’m going to practice like a World Cup final every single time and I did and that’s like what got me to start during the quarters because penino and Cheney were both on yellow cards um and yeah and then and I think that that practice preparation led me to be like super confident in when I set on that field and so like the that was my first goal with the national team like I had scored and I scored a goal in the semi-finals of World Cup it was like LOL this is hilarious it was like a karate kick goal like it was like so sick and you were so happy and you helped the team seal the win it was amazing yeah it was cool it was really cool that it was that was um yeah that was fun for sure well even more fun for me was 2019 won the World Cup together and when I think back on that team like I genuinely just feel like that team really was so close and like was actually 22 best friends do you feel the same yes I do I like yeah again I think back on the summer of 2019 it was like heat wve in France we were just like out we were good you know like we were just so dialed in as a team and as individuals it was just like we were living our best lives how El I literally people ask me about it I’m like it was like inevitable that we were going to win like I’ve never felt that way I had so little like doubt in our team and then we freaking won it was so amazing we celebrated so beautifully Kelly do you remember when I was spitting my beer in your face wait um at the after party wasn’t I at the Afterparty going like this with my beer honestly I was on another level so I do not remember well clearly I was too I thought I was I was counting on you to to remind me what happened I I don’t remember that I just remember you ended up dancing with somebody you thought was Pat but it wasn’t Pat and also um also we I’m pretty sure you Pat Crystal Cameron and me drove back together last we the last five at this party just like still raging and they’re like you got to go home and I have a picture of looking across the like taxi or whatever we were in I know I know the picture so sometimes Giggle and we’re so sweaty and then when we got back to the hotel I remember Ryan gave us hamburgers I didn’t get any hamburgers I think I did dang lucky I would have killed for a hamburger so you have all this you have all this International success Kelly and then finally in 2021 you have Club success in the nbsl with the Washington Spirit you assisted Trinity Rodman and then you scored the game-winning goal to win the nwl championship and we have another clip for you because I just want to make you feel good about how much all your teammates love you okay never in my life life could I have told you my rookie year I would assist a goal to Kelly O’Hara the woman I’ve looked up to for the longest time to win like it’s is the craziest thing like you couldn’t have wrote that down you could not on my bingo card you know a Tren I know talk to me about a little bit about how it felt to finally have this success in the nbsl with the spirit in 2021 I mean it felt really freaking good because I chose to go to spir I was like I want to go to Spirit for personal reasons right like my lover lives there like we have been doing years long distance I’m over that life like there’s a place where I can live and work and play in the same city and love and love and I want to do that and so and that was like the that was the dream for me to be able to do that and I did and I pushed for it and then on top of that I was like spirit is Young and feisty and good and I felt like I could add to that team so to be able to go there and then that that Year I wish there was like we should have had cameras because it was wild in terms of just the like ownership battle and coaching situation and all those things so then for us that was really a come together as a team and block out the of everything else that’s going on around us and get the job done and we did oh and then on top of that like on it came which was incredible um you know we got Tren which was so cool to be able to have her as a teammate her rookie year and then to win and like to do it the way that we did was just it was nice honestly winning that n Championship like ranks up there with winning I don’t want to say like winning World Cup because obviously it’s a different level but I wanted it so bad I wanted that so bad and we got it and it was it was that was that was fun I know exactly what you mean my 2016 NSL Championship with Western New York like it’s like so high up on my list of accomplishments because it was just so unbelievable and like we it was the coolest thing ever we were such underdogs we had to like beat all these like incredibly talented teams to do it and it was such a shock and surprise to us that it was just like I just have the best memories about it it was so much fun so the NP Championship means so much and then you got to do it again with Gotham what like the other thing I know so you guys almost don’t even make playoffs last year and then you go you barely come in six and then you go and win the whole thing talk to us a little bit about what that was like I mean yeah shout out to the team and um it was well again that was the other thing it was like Spirit was basically like we don’t want you anymore we’re not resigning you and I was like wow okay I expected to retire here and so now I need to I got to go elsewhere um and to go back to Gotham was such a full circle moment to be able to be like I started my career in the end ofil here with sky blue like I plan on ending my career here if I sign here and then on top of that to then in that first year win a championship and the first one for the club was just like I could it you couldn’t script it better and then on top of it it’s like retirement year it was just there was so many things that were so special about last year and yeah it was it was again really fun really fun well so this kind of brings us full circle here you are you’re in your last year with Gotham what are your goals and how are you thinking about these next couple months well my goal would be to get back on the field um if you’re being honest that is the number one priority right now trying to figure it out um it’s been a process of a lot of things but um yeah I mean I I’ve never won the shield so I would love to be able to end my career winning a shield winning a championship every year I go into the year being like I I I want to win that’s the only reason I’m here I assume that’s why everyone else is here so let’s do it you know hey you’re telling me um I I hear you on that well I hope you get back on the field I hope you do whatever is right for your body bu you know I’m rooting for Gotham Kelly you are one of the most accomplished and influential players of Our Generation you have been to so many tournaments you’ve been playing at the highest level for 15 years and you’ve affected countless of your teammates and fans along the way when you think back of everything that you’ve done what Legacy and Lasting Impression do you hope to leave behind um I guess I feel like people are always asking this and I’m like I want to leave the legacy of like you’d pick me for your team every time you know like that teammates and coaches and fans if they have a choice would like pick me for your team because I’m a good teammate I work hard I win you know however way possible and I’m a good time too so you know I think that’s that’s like how I want to be remembered well that’s how I will always think of you as you continue to be my friend I would definitely pick you for whatever team I was on thank you so much for being here I can’t wait to see you the rest of the season with Gotham and whatever role you’re playing I will be cheering you on this year and in the future when we do more Sports together woohoo I can’t wait thanks Samy thanks Kelly thanks thank you all so much for listening I just love Kelly so much she has been honestly one of the best people for me to talk to during the last few years I think that Kelly has done such a great job in her career of creating lasting relationships and then also like intentionally aligning herself with people and companies that share her values I just have so much respect for Kelly she’s such a great friend and I really feel for what she’s going through right now but I know that she’s set her life up to come out on the other side really well adjusted happy and able to move forward so I just wish the best for her I want everything to go smoothly I want her knee to be great for the rest of her life but I also want her to get to play and to go out on a high so um I’m sending Kelly so much love next week’s guest is the one and only Jaden Shaw Jaden was amazing to talk to she is 19 years old she is so down toe and she is so wise she’s already crushing it on the world stage and I’m really really excited for you all to hear from her next week as always you can send me an email and I could read it aloud on the show please include a picture of your dog it is the Surefire way to get me to look at your email and to read it out loud the email is women’s game miib menand blazers.com while you’re at it please subscribe to our newsletter which gets delivered to your inbox every Monday and is kind of the perfect recap of all things soccer you can find the link to subscribe through the link tree in our social media bios we are also on Instagram Twitter Tik Tok and now threads at women’s game MIB finally please subscribe to this podcast feed it would make me very very happy all right thank you all so much for being here I’ll see you soon