The growth of women’s sports has been inspiring a new generation of female athletes, and the progress made in the world of athletics has been bold and encouraging. The fight to gain recognition for female athletes has been long and difficult, but the hard-fought battle to achieve equal rights and respect has begun to pay off in noticeable ways. From the creation of more women’s professional sports leagues to increased sponsorship of female athletes, the impact of inclusion and the importance of representation is undeniable.

A female athlete who has been a source of motivation and inspiration is Sarina Bolden. Bolden is a professional footballer who has played for clubs all over the world: Taiwan, San Francisco, Japan, Sydney, and the Philippines. She was given an immense amount of publicity in August when the Philippines played in the FIFA World Cup for the first time in history. In their second game of the tournament, the Filipinas were matched up with New Zealand, one of the host countries. 23 minutes into the match, Bolden scored the Philippines’ first-ever goal in the tournament’s history. This event took the news and social media by storm, reaching audiences all over the world. 

Sarina Bolden is especially inspiring because of the history she made on behalf of the Philippines team. Young Filipino athletes, especially soccer players (who are not very common in the Philippines), will continue to look to Bolden as a sense of hope for their country and a source of motivation to accomplish successes like hers. Sarin takes pride in representing the Philippines, which also shows the passion she has for her sport and for her culture. As a lesbian person of color, Bolden also took advantage of the attention she gained in order to speak on gender and racial justice. Outside of playing soccer, Bolden is an activist who is not afraid to share their outlook on certain aspects of our society. 

Especially after the FIFA World Cup, Sarina Bolden is, without a doubt, a role model for many athletes and people around the world. If you want to witness her history, watch this clip! – Sarina Bolden