Abby Wambach closed her legendary soccer career on Dec. 16, 2015, in the Superdome Arena in New Orleans.

If you're anything like me you watched the interviews before hand, the interview after the game, the game itself, and most importantly her walking off the field taking off her cleats and handing her Captains badge to Carli Lloyd with tears rolling down your cheeks.

Abby Wambach: 255 Caps, 73 Assists, 184 Goals, 77 of those goals with her head, 18,363 minutes played.

These numbers bring her to the top of the record books, her game winning goals brought us to the edge of our seats, and her passion for the game kept bringing us fans back for more.

But behind all those numbers and records is someone that is more than just a soccer a player. And in her interview with former women's national soccer player Julie Foudy on Dec. 12, Wambach showed just that. (If you haven't seen this interview you can find it here.)

“I think that I’ve been in search of something, and I found more than just a soccer player. That’s always been my goal, is to not just be a soccer player, and so what’s been really interesting is that the minute I said I was retiring it was like my world opened up again and I was able to breathe. ‘Wow, I am not just a soccer player, and I have value and I am lovable.’ And all this stuff that came flooding back, my confidence. And it was like, ‘whoa, where have you been?’”In this quote Wambach shows vulnerability. She shows the struggle she had of finding her confidence and self worth during her career. As a role model for all people this could be a very hard thing for her to admit not only to herself but to the world. Wambach bringing this vulnerability to the public is what I believe makes her even more of a role model, even more than just a soccer player. Wambach shows us these true, raw emotions that she struggled with before her retirement, just helping us as humans understand that sometimes in order to reach for what we've been searching for, we have to stop what we think is getting us there."...part of me was probably really terrified of saying that I'm retiring because I didn't know what would happen after and part of me was really excited"Yet again Wambach brings attention to the fact that its okay to be scared. Someone that is as strong, successful, and has changed the face of women's soccer was terrified. And that is O.K. She sheds light on the fact that yes, you may not know what is happening next, but that also is exciting in a way. Wambach not knowing what is coming next proves that there is more than soccer written down in her agenda. Just like you and I, she does not know what the hell is coming next but instead of running away scared she's ready for whats to come.“People are so scared to change that if you just put one foot in front of the other you find that life happens regardless."

This quote has to be one of the most important statements Wambach could have possibly said in this interview. Blunt and to the point she easily proves that no matter what decisions you make life is going to happen. And if you're to scared to move on from things, life will move on without you. Clearly Wambach is ready to take the leap and move with life and not let it happen without her. I believe with this quote alone Wambach challenges us to not be afraid to change those aspects of our lives that need to be changed in our life. She challenges us to move on from the things we are most comfortable with and find new things to explore, because no matter what life happens regardless.

"My hope is that legends can be forgotten but the legacies are the things that last and you know the legacy I wanna be apart of is just the culture of this team, truthfully I hope that they're not talking about me, I hope that they're talking about Alex Morgan, or the next stud."

Wambach is selfless. Because if this quote didn't show it enough her recent Gatorade "Forget Me" commercial sure does. It brings tears to your eyes to see someone who you know will never be forgotten, want to be forgotten, for the sake of the team, for the sake of the next generation. A challenge for not only soccer players, but athletes everywhere. Wambach is proud of her accomplishments but her focus is solely on the next generation. Urging them to achieve things so great that she is all, but forgotten. If you haven't seen this tear-jerking commercial you can watch it below.

"Because the day I'm forgotten is the day we will succeed."

Abby Wambach: former USWNT soccer player, daughter, wife, friend, teammate, mentor, motivator, thinker, risk taker, teacher, believer, dreamer, difference-maker.

Thank you Abby Wambach for your years of dedication to this sport and for the years of thrilling games you've let me watch. Thank you for challenging me, and thank you for making me use my head not only in soccer, but in life as well.