Why Soccer Star Carli Lloyd Is More Concerned About Equal Pay Than Zika

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Carli Lloyd, 33, isn’t ready for Rio just yet. With an MCL sprain, the 2015 FIFA Player of the Year is focusing on getting better before she can dive into Olympics training mode. But that doesn’t mean she’s sitting around doing nothing while she’s off the field.

The New Jersey native is one of the five team members who are speaking publicly about the equal pay complaint the team filed earlier this year against the U.S. Soccer Federation, which accuses the league of unfairly paying the U.S. Women’s National Team players thousands of dollars less than the players on the men’s team. After their World Cup win last year, the women want their pay to reflect their value and success as athletes.

Lloyd may be speaking directly for the U.S. Women’s National Team, but she knows they’re giving a voice to other women in similar situations, too. She tells SELF: “I think it’s giving more and more women, and specifically other women’s soccer teams, the confidence to speak up. I know it helped Colombia speak up about their [pay situation]; I know other teams like Australia ended up going on strike until they got paid more.” Knowing they’re helping others find their voice, and feeling overwhelming support from other teams and the media, gives the women motivation to keep fighting. “We’re coming off the World Cup and just being successful in general, so we have leverage to continue to push the envelope.”

As for Zika, Lloyd’s not stressing about getting sick in Brazil. “We’ve been informed by U.S. Soccer, we’ve had some presentations on Zika, and I’m honestly not worried,” Lloyd says. “I’m going to put on the bug spray and just not go hang out in the jungle.” Lloyd’s engaged to her high school sweetheart Brian Hollins, but she doesn’t plan on getting pregnant anytime soon. Right now, she’s more concerned about winning in Rio. “We’ll take precautionary measures, and that’s that.”

Lloyd hasn’t stopped since the World Cup—she’s still riding the MVP wave, with sponsorships and speaking opportunities rolling in. Most recently, she signed on with Heineken, making her the first female ambassador for any beer company. “That speaks volumes to how far we’ve come as women, and it’s great.”

You might also like: Olympic Gold Medalist Alex Morgan on Why She’s Her Biggest Competitor

The post Why Soccer Star Carli Lloyd Is More Concerned About Equal Pay Than Zika appeared first on SELF.



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Jasmine Bryant

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