Certain members of the US Women's National Team dominate the media more than others. Players like Hope Solo, Alex Morgan, Abby Wambach, Meghan Rapinoe, Kelley O'Hara, Morgan Brian and many others are usually the first players that come to mind when the team is mentioned. However, there is one player, though she doesn't see the field too often for the national team, who is making an impact on a world outside of soccer.
Ashlyn Harris, a goalkeeper, is a strong proponent of a non-profit organization called, "To Write Love On Her Arms." According to the mission statement on their home page, "To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA) is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery."
Ashlyn made a video with Purpose 2 Play where she spoke about her struggles with depression and highlighted her support of TWLOHA. It is difficult for anyone to tell friends and family about issues like she has faced, but she deserves even more respect for having the willingness to speak about her own life publicly, as she has now been in the face of the media more frequently since the video was released.
Ashlyn has made a bold move and done an incredible job showing the world that all the success in the world will not make you happy, for it is the way we help people and impact people's lives that will make us feel rich. Ashlyn beautifully demonstrates the importance of doing our best to understand someone beyond the outer shell and to realize that everyone has a story, even the people you'd never expect.
Way to go, Ashlyn.
http://purpose2play.com/beyond-the-net-with-uswnt-...