“In 2012 I wrote down that I wanted to be the starting outside back in the Olympics, and by writing it down, I feel that I willed it into being. That willpower—that’s internal—is what drives me.” -Kelley O’Hara.
Kelley O’Hara, one of the most celebrated players on the US Women’s National Team, owns gold medals from the Olympics and the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Among her 104 caps for the U.S. are extensive awards — Hermann Trophy winner at Stanford University, U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year as well as three Algarve Cup titles. Yet her success is measured in more than just accolades. O’Hara possesses a competitive will that drives her to win at everything — every drill, fitness test and game.
“Kelley is someone that has a winning mentality. Any game you play, she wants to win everything, and you need people like that on your team,” Utah Royals FC head coach Laura Harvey explained. “It’s huge in this league. You play 24 games and a cup final, and you need people that can go that extra mile to win games—and she’s willing to do that.”
Amid the awards and championship games, O’Hara has faced her own challenges along her extensive career. In 2011 O’Hara was unexpectedly kept from the U.S. World Cup roster. O’Hara told U.S. Soccer that not being on the roster was a letdown and disappointment, but that she knew she had to stay focused and “regroup and get situated.”
Continuing to encourage her teammates ahead of the tournament, O’Hara called herself a practice player and took on a support role for those slated to travel to Germany for the Women’s World Cup. Not long after being stripped from the roster, O’Hara received a phone call informing her that she had been added to the squad to replace Lindsay Tarpley, who was injured in a match against Japan prior to the tournament’s commencement.
O’Hara’s ability to learn new skills and adapt within the game has played a crucial role in her soccer career. Originally a forward, O’Hara, who continued to see herself as a bench player, was asked to play outside back after USWNT member Ali Krieger tore her ACL. O’Hara rose to the challenge, starting her first game in the new position against Guatemala in an Olympic Qualifying game in 2012. She registered three assists during the 2012 season going on to play every minute of the 2012 Olympic Games in London where the United States earned its fourth Olympic gold medal.
O’Hara’s competitive edge may have stemmed from her time spent playing youth soccer in Georgia. A star forward out of Peachtree City, O’Hara led her local high school to the 5A state title, netting 20 goals and 16 assists to earn the Georgia State Gatorade Player of the Year. Or maybe her ambitious personality came from studying in a rigorous Science, technology, and society department at one of the nation’s top institutions, Stanford University. The degree works jointly with the arts and science, meaning O’Hara immersed herself in project-based courses all while balancing life as a division-one athlete, handling Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority member responsibilities, and continuing to cultivate her passion for surfing.
What makes O’Hara such an exciting component for the Utah Royals FC is her ability to give back to the world around her, even after she hangs up her cleats. Not only is she expected to help lead the team to the NWSL Cup, but her background in engineering means O’Hara will always have a place in the growing technology regions of Salt Lake City and Utah’s Silicone Slopes; as well as possible future opportunities with one of Utah’s fastest growing STEM schools, the Real Salt Lake Academy.
