Inspirational Olympic Athletes

<p>Two-time World Cup Champion and co-captain of the US Women’s National Soccer Team, Megan Rapinoe is a fan favorite and one of the team’s most technical players.</p><p>A vocal leader on and off the pitch, Megan helped lead the USWNT to the 2019 Women’s World Cup Championship scoring some of the biggest goals of the tournament. Megan took home the tournament’s two top honors – the Golden Boot for top scorer, and the Golden Ball for the best player in the tournament.

<p>In 1992, when Manon Rhéaume stepped on the ice as goaltender for the Tampa Bay Lightning, she became The First Woman of Hockey—the first and only female to play in an NHL game.</p><p>Manon was also the first female to sign a contract as a professional hockey player, leading to a successful six-year career in the minor leagues. To this day, no other woman has played in any of the four major sports—the NHL, NFL, NBA, or MLB.

<p>Aly Raisman, team captain of the gold medal winning U.S. Olympic Women’s Gymnastics teams in 2012 and 2016, is the second most decorated American gymnast of all-time with six total Olympic medals. </p><p>The most decorated U.S. gymnast at the 2012 Games, Raisman captured the hearts of millions as she became the first American gymnast to win gold in the floor exercise. One of only two U.S.

<p>Josh Sundquist is a Paralympian skier whose high-energy blend of humor and inspiration motivates audiences to adopt his ski-racing motto: 1MT1MT (One More Thing, One More Time).</p><p>As Josh shares, 1MT1MT helps elevate performance in sales, customer service, quality improvement, leadership, and much more in life.</p><p>The story of Josh losing his leg to cancer and rising to the challenge of ski racing in the Paralympics underscores the importance of being resilient during times of change, maintaining a sense of humor under stressful circumstances, and fac

<p>Melissa Stockwell inspires us to embrace change and find motivation in adversity, as she shares her astonishing journey of leadership, perseverance, gratitude and competitive success.</p><p>At first glance Melissa Stockwell may appear to be the quintessential Mid-western All-American girl, but she is far more.

<p>The most recognized male figure skating star in the world, Scott Hamilton has won 70 titles, awards and honors including an Emmy Award nomination, induction into the United States Olympic Hall of Fame and a privileged member of the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame.</p>

<p>Leadership expert Jim Craig is best remembered for his outstanding goaltending in the "Miracle on Ice" during the 1980 winter Olympics. In what has been labeled the greatest sports moment of the 20th century, the United States hockey team beat the heavily favored Russians and went on to win the Olympic gold medal.

<p>Millions of Americans remember Mike Eruzione as the captain of the 1980 US Olympic hockey team that beat the odds to win the gold medal in Lake Placid. It was his decisive winning goal that beat the Soviet team and stunned the world.</p>

<p>Oprah Winfrey calls Amy Purdy her inspiration. As a young girl, Purdy dreamed of sailing through fresh powder restrained only by a snowboard attached to two feet. Above all, she dreamed of freedom, of the chance to craft a personal narrative of her own choosing.

Dara Torres is arguably the fastest female swimmer in America. She entered her first international swimming competition at age 14 and competed in her first Olympics a few years later in 1984.

At the Beijing Games in 2008, Torres became the oldest swimmer to compete in the Olympics. When she took three silver medals -- including the infamous heartbreaking 50-meter freestyle race where she missed the Gold by 1/100th of a second -- America loved her all the more for her astonishing achievement and her good-natured acceptance of the results.