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Brandi Chastain Discusses the Stress of Being a Young Athlete
“Well, as a young person who really enjoyed playing sports, winning was something that I absolutely loved doing. And when I didn’t do it, I had a really hard time with the emotions and the feelings that went along with not being the best or being perfect.”
Brandi Chastain
For May Mental Health Awareness Month American soccer player and Olympic gold medalist Brandi Chastain discusses her struggles with perfectionism and the importance of having an outlet to share feelings and emotions. She emphasizes the need for young people and adults alike to seek professional support and to understand their emotions in order to live a more peaceful, gentle, and aware life.
About the You Got This Campaign
Battling mental health issues can sometimes feel isolating and overwhelming. The You Got This campaign strives to assure you that you’re never alone. Celebrities and influencers share their stories and provide tips on how they got through the hardships of both their past and present, reinforcing the empowering message that while things may be hard now, #YouGotThis.
About Brandi Chastain
Although she played in three Olympic finals, Brandi Chastain is best remembered for the 1999 World Cup final. In front of her home crowd, she scored the deciding penalty kick against China, and celebrated by taking off her shirt. Photographs of Chastain in her sports bra were featured on the front of magazines and newspapers world wide. In addition to that victory, defender Chastain also played on the team that won the inaugural women’s World Cup in 1991, and won Olympic gold medals in 1996 and 2004. Chastain began her college career at U Cal Berkeley in 1986, but sat out 1987-88 after ACL surgery, and then transferred to the University of Santa Clara. She led the Broncos to two Final Four appearances during her two years at Santa Clara. She later played for Skiroki Serena in Japan, and in American professional leagues, for the San Jose CyberRays and California Storm. During her long career, she was capped 192 times, scoring 30 goals. She retired from the national team in 2004, and was a football analyst for NBC during the 2008 Olympics.
