Sydney Leroux

As the daughter of a Canadian professional softball player and an American professional baseball player, Sydney Leroux was handed a natural path to greatness. But when you’re the daughter of a newly single mom, good genes only help so much. Sydney didn’t have a lot of resources. What she did have, though, was a tireless drive, and a very clearly defined goal: make the roster of the best soccer team in the world. Unfortunately, that meant leaving Vancouver and moving to the United States. Alone. Which she did, at the age of 14.

For the first few years, she lived with host families, honing her skills in the American youth soccer scene. That got her noticed, and from there, the goals kept coming.

A full-ride scholarship to UCLA. NCAA College Cup appearances. A U-20 World Cup Championship and Golden Boot trophy. A place on the US Women’s National Team. And, ultimately, Championships in the 2012 Olympic Games and 2015 Women’s World Cup that made her an icon for the nation.

In 2016, she welcomed a son named Cassius, followed by her daughter Roux in 2019. With her children came yet another goal for Sydney: be as good a mom as she was an athlete. Not surprisingly, she continues to excel at both, maintaining the perfect balance between a loving family life and a successful career.

This fact doesn’t go unnoticed by her millions of followers. You see, there’s another remarkable thing about Sydney that’s followed her all her life. No matter how driven, focused, and absolutely fearless she is on the field, she’s always exuded a remarkable warmth, charm and wit in person. Because of her personality, her fans are more like family members, whom she invites into the special moments of her life, large and small.

She’s a champion. She’s an icon. She’s a devoted mother and an athlete fired by an exceptional drive to win. No matter what Sydney faces, she approaches it with fearsome determination. And she gets it done with a smile and a wink. That’s evident in every game she plays for Angel City FC and with the US Women’s National Team. When you expect greatness, Sydney comes through.