Naomi Girma will make her Olympic debut next month at the 2024 Paris Games. The San Jose, California native has not only broken barriers as the first player of Ethiopian descent to play for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team and the National Women’s Soccer League, but she also became the first true defender and second Black defender to win U.S. Soccer’s 2023 Female Player of the Year. Her success on the field and passion for the game are deeply rooted in the values of her Ethiopian heritage
In a conversation with NBC Sports in January, Girma reflected on her experience, often as the sole Black person on her soccer teams, what she’s learned from her parents’ sacrifices, and why she’s so passionate about representation.
*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
I read that if the TV was on in your home as a kid then it was probably a soccer game playing. How did growing up in an Ethiopian household influence your love for the sport?
Naomi Girma: My dad loved soccer and that started with his childhood in Ethiopia, just playing with his friends after school. He would always tell us about how much he loved playing and I think when we were old enough, he wanted that to be our sport and to share that love with us. Just being in the Ethiopian culture and seeing how much appreciation there was for soccer was amazing and I think that really helped me fall in love with it.
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