Mia Hamm

Mia Hamm was born on March 17, 1972 in Selma, Alabama. Largely considered the best female soccer player in history. Hamm played with United States women national soccer team for 17 years, building one of the biggest fan bases of any american athlete. She was named FIFA world player of the year in 2001 and 2002. At age 15, she was the youngest soccer player ever to play for the national team. Hamm attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she helped take the team to 4 NCAA womens championships. She was elected soccer USA's female athlete five years in a row, MVP of womens cup, and winner of three ESPY awards. At age 19, she was the youngest team member in history to win a world cup. She recieved the gold medal at the olympics in 1996, and then again in 2004. She was put on FIFA's list of the 125 greatest living soccer players, being one of the two women and the two americans to be named. She retired in 2004 to start a family.