Soccer Goalie Briana Scurry on Winning Gold: ‘I Bawled Like a Little Baby’

To help celebrate the Summer Games in Paris (July 26–Aug. 11), AARP is checking with some of the most iconic figures in U.S. Olympic history about their magical moments — and the new passions that shape their lives today.

As a gifted young athlete in a suburb of Minneapolis, Briana Scurry excelled in soccer and basketball before her standout skills as a goalkeeper made her a superstar at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She rose to international fame as the backbone of the U.S. women’s national soccer team, playing a pivotal role in its victories at the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 1996 and 2004 Olympic Games. Known for her quick reflexes and fearless presence, Scurry’s heroic saves during penalty shootouts have become legendary moments in soccer history. Scurry was the first Black woman to be elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame and has been a vocal advocate for equality and concussion awareness, using her platform to inspire and effect change.

Golden reflections: Walking into the Olympic stadium in Atlanta was the most exciting moment of my life ever to happen. They told us to walk in formation, six abreast, but the minute we rounded the corner, we were jumping around like little children. Being the favorites for the gold added a level of adrenaline that’s indescribable. I was so happy. But in 2004, in Athens, everything was different. My father had passed away in June that year, but I knew he was there with me. I played the best soccer of my life. When they put that gold medal around my neck, I bawled like a little baby.

Meaning in the medals: I declared to my parents I wanted to be an Olympian at age 8 after watching the U.S. men’s hockey team defeat the U.S.S.R. in 1980 in Lake Placid. In my teens, I made a sign that said, “Olympics 1996.” I had a dream. The Olympics are part of everything I do, everywhere I go. Winning those gold medals will be part of me until my dying breath.