Though you wouldn't know it to look at her out of uniform, this smiley woman is one hard-charging, take-no-prisoners soccer phenom (she's a forward for the U.S. Women's National Team). Yet ask her what the biggest compliment she can get on her game is, and she'll tell you it's that she plays like a girl. "I'm out to reinvent that phrase into something that's celebrated," she says. "I want it to have a girl-with-mud-on-her-face swagger." And if you caught Morgan, 26, on the pitch at the Women's World Cup this summer, you know she succeeded in doing exactly that. She'll also inspire you to live as fearlessly as she does, and to have as much fun. Here's why.
Even her thighs have their own fan clubMorgan loves that her muscular quads get her spotted ("Even through my leggings!") by fans everywhere. In fact, they're her favorite body part. "You should never be afraid of looking athletic or building too much muscle," she says. That could sound like pat advice, only the woman has shown it off in a teeny bikini in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Twice. (Want killer quads like her? Feel like you belong the field by doing The USWNT Endurance Circuit Workout.)
It's the lazy, easy stuff she really loves For someone who trains insane—she practices three hours daily with the world's most superfit workout buddies—Morgan actually credits her healthy glow to things that don't break a sweat, like sleeping, eating well, and just hanging with people she cares about. "I always map out how to get a good eight or nine hours of sleep before I even start my day," she says. "And my rule is to put my phone on silent when I go to bed; that way no texts or emails can disturb me."
Her game face starts with bronzer"I was the biggest tomboy growing up," Morgan says. "Now I love playing with a full face of makeup." For games, it's always bronzer, a little eyeliner, mascara, and ChapStick. "When I prepare for a match, it's like work, even the way I have to shower and put on my makeup." The endgame: Each time she takes the field, Morgan makes being athletic absolutely beautiful. (She's also been seen rocking some killer braids. See them in Stay-Put Hairstyles, As Seen at the Women's World Cup.)
