Mia Hamm
It’s hard not to include a gold medal Olympian on the list of Alabama-born greats, which is why she makes our ballot for the Alabama Sports Mount Rushmore.
Mia Hamm was born in Selma, Alabama in 1972 and began her soccer playing career here before moving multiple times with her family. Hamm became an All-star soccer player at the University of North Carolina where her teams went an astonishing record of 95-1.
Hamm started her professional career at the age of 19, and became the youngest woman in American history to win the FIFA World Cup. In 1999, Hamm broke the international record for goals and also lead her team to another World Cup victory.
Mia Hamm retired in 2004 after winning the Gold Medal for Women’s Soccer in the Olympics, and was given the huge honor of carrying the Stars and Stripes in the closing ceremonies. Hamm was inducted into the National Soccer Half of Fame in 2007.
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