United States president Joe Biden has announced that Megan Rapinoe will receive the nation's highest civilian honour.
The American football star is set to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom alongside a number of big-name figures in America.
"Megan Rapinoe is an Olympic gold medalist and two-time Women’s World Cup champion," the official website for the White House read.
"She also captains OL Reign in the National Women’s Soccer League. She is a prominent advocate for gender pay equality, racial justice, and LGBTQI+ rights."
The White House also said that the Medal of Freedom is "presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavours."
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The website added: "President Biden has long said that America can be defined by one word: possibilities. These seventeen Americans demonstrate the power of possibilities and embody the soul of the nation – hard work, perseverance, and faith. They have overcome significant obstacles to achieve impressive accomplishments in the arts and sciences, dedicated their lives to advocating for the most vulnerable among us, and acted with bravery to drive change in their communities – and across the world – while blazing trails for generations to come.
Other notable recipients were Simone Biles, Denzel Washington and Steve Jobs (posthumous).
Rapinoe and Biles are just the fifth and sixth female athletes to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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“I just think of all the people who I feel deserve a part of this medal, from my family to current and former teammates, all the women of the U.S. Women’s National Team throughout our history, to Colin Kaepernick, the three woman who founded Black Lives Matter – Opal, Alicia and Patrisse – to Marsha P, Sylvia and Billie Jean, the Williams sisters, of course my fiancee Sue Bird, and so many more," Rapinoe told the press.
"I am humbled and truly honoured to be chosen for this award by President Biden and feel as inspired and motivated as ever to continue this long history of fighting for the freedoms of all people. To quote Emma Lazarus, ‘Until we are all free, we are none of us free’.”
A statement from a statement from U.S. Soccer added: "Rapinoe is the first soccer player to receive the award and one of just six female athletes or coaches to be so honoured along fellow 2022 recipient and Olympic gold medal gymnast Simone Biles, tennis player and women’s rights pioneer Billie Jean King, 1932 Summer Olympics track and field gold medalist and professional golfer Babe Didrikson Zaharias, women’s basketball legend Pat Summitt and professional golfer Annika Sorenstam.
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Biden will present the recipients with their awards on July 7 at the White House.
Topics: Australia, Football, Megan Rapinoe
Max Sherry