Like many kids, Mallory Swanson dreamed of winning an Olympic gold medal. On Saturday, the U.S. women’s national team star became one of the rare athletes to actually make that childhood dream come true.
Swanson scored the only goal in the gold medal game, as the USWNT battled to a 1-0 victory over Brazil in Paris.
The strike capped off an excellent tournament for the 26-year-old, who led the team with four goals in France as she delivered a comeback performance for the ages after missing the 2023 World Cup with a knee injury.
The goal also made a dream come true that she articulated in her sixth-grade yearbook. Swanson, née Pugh, posted her yearbook photo on Instagram several years ago, with the caption: “Just a girl with a dream.”
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In addition to declaring her favorite sixth-grade memory to be outdoor ed, the youngster also said: “I want to be on the USA soccer team and win a gold medal.”
Roughly 14 years later, Swanson accomplished her lofty goal.
Swanson will add the gold medal to her World Cup title from 2019, as she continues putting together a resume that even her sixth-grade self would have scarcely imagined.
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