In a powerful ad for Gatorade, Abby
Wambach hands over the reigns to the next generation.
Wambach, who is openly lesbian,
announced her retirement from professional soccer in October and played
her last game on Wednesday in New Orleans.
A two-time Olympic gold medalist, FIFA
Women's World Cup champion and six-time winner of the U.S. Soccer
Athlete of the Year award, Wambach has played for the U.S. women's
national soccer team for 14 years.
In the 1-minute ad, titled Forget
Me, Wambach wants the next generation to move forward by
forgetting her.
“I want to leave a legacy where the
ball keeps rolling forward,” she says in the ad. “Where the next
generation accomplishes things so great that I am no longer
remembered.”
In a statement, Gatorade called Wambach
“one of the greatest American soccer players to ever step on the
field.”
“Pushing the sport forward, while
championing the fight for equal rights, her impact extends far beyond
the field. Yet, as she faces retirement, her focus is solely on the
next generation. Urging them to achieve things so great that she is
all but forgotten,” the company said.