Megan Rapinoe’s Rise as a Dual Force in Sports and Activism

Before 2019, Megan Rapinoe had already established herself as a world-class soccer talent. A key member of the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT), she earned Olympic gold in 2012 and was a cornerstone of the team’s 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup victory. Her technical ability, precise passing, and fearless play on the flank made her a nightmare for defenders. Yet Rapinoe’s impact extended far beyond the pitch. Long before she accepted the microphone at the 2019 ESPYs, she had been kneeling during the national anthem in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, publicly criticizing the U.S. Soccer Federation for its treatment of female players, and championing LGBTQ+ visibility. Her activism was not a sudden pivot but a consistent thread woven through her career.

What set Rapinoe apart was her refusal to separate her identity as an athlete from her identity as an advocate. She understood that her platform, earned through years of dedication and elite performance, could amplify conversations that needed to be heard. This dual role would reach its zenith in 2019, a year that began with a World Cup triumph and culminated in a series of high-profile award ceremonies where her voice became as powerful as her left foot.

Her background also includes a deep connection to the fight for equal pay. In March 2019, the USWNT filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against U.S. Soccer, a legal battle that Rapinoe helped spearhead. This context is crucial for understanding the weight of her words at the 2019 ESPYs and other ceremonies. She was not speaking from a script; she was speaking from a lived experience of fighting for fairness in her own profession.

The 2019 ESPYs: A Stage for a World Champion’s Statement

The 2019 ESPYs, held on July 10 in Los Angeles, arrived just three days after the USWNT’s dominant 2-0 victory over the Netherlands in the World Cup final. The timing was politically and culturally charged. The USWNT’s victory was not only a sports achievement but a cultural flashpoint, igniting debates over pay equity, women’s sports visibility, and the role of athletes in social movements. Megan Rapinoe entered the ESPYs not just as the Best Female Athlete (a category she won) but as the de facto spokesperson for a generation of athletes who refused to “stick to sports.”

The Speech That Redefined Athlete Activism

Accepting the Best Female Athlete award, Rapinoe delivered a speech that moved beyond the typical thank-yous. She immediately addressed the elephant in the room: the chants and calls for her to “shut up and dribble.” Standing at the podium in a tailored suit, she said, “I think that it’s important for me to stand here tonight and say: I love my teammates, I love the women in this room, I love all the women in this world.” She then pivoted to a direct challenge to the institutions holding back progress.

“We have to be better,” Rapinoe stated. “We have to love more, hate less. We need to listen more and talk less. It is our responsibility — each and every one of us — to make this world a better place.” She turned her attention to the gender pay gap, referencing the USWNT’s lawsuit and calling on sponsors and the federation to do more. “It’s time to stop talking about it and start doing it,” she said. The speech was met with a standing ovation from a star-studded audience that included LeBron James, Serena Williams, and basketball legend Billie Jean King, who was seen nodding in approval.

Her words were not just emotional; they were tactical. Rapinoe used the platform to frame equal pay not as a women’s issue but as a human rights issue. She connected her fight to the broader struggles of marginalized communities, saying, “We’re all in this together. We can’t let the differences that we have divide us.”

Reaction and Media Coverage

The speech dominated sports and news headlines for days. Major outlets like ESPN highlighted its bravery, while right-leaning commentators criticized it as politicized. Yet the broader public reaction was overwhelmingly positive. NPR noted that the speech “went viral” and sparked real-time conversations on social media about wage equity. For many young female athletes watching at home, seeing Rapinoe command that stage was a pivotal moment. It signaled that you could be both a champion and an advocate, and that the two roles did not need to be in conflict.

Beyond the ESPYs: Other Major 2019 Award Ceremonies

The ESPYs were only one stop on Rapinoe’s 2019 award tour. She also received recognition at events that traditionally celebrate culture, fashion, and social progress, expanding her influence beyond the sports bubble.

Glamour Women of the Year

In November 2019, Glamour magazine honored Rapinoe as one of its Women of the Year. At the ceremony, she shared the stage with other activists and leaders. Her speech there focused on intersectionality and the importance of using privilege to amplify others. She told the audience, “We have to be uncomfortable. That’s where change happens.” The glossy, celebrity-filled setting did not dilute her message; instead, it allowed her to reach an audience that might not follow sports night in and night out.

Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year

Later that year, Rapinoe was named Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year, alongside the entire USWNT. The magazine’s cover featured Rapinoe with her arms outstretched, a pose that became iconic. The accompanying feature detailed her activism and the price she paid for it, including threats and criticism. At the award ceremony, she used the stage to once again call for equal pay and to salute her teammates, making sure the collective effort was recognized.

The FIFA Best Awards and the Ballon d’Or

At the FIFA Best awards in Milan, Rapinoe won the Best Women’s Player award. In her acceptance speech, she took a different approach — she used the international stage to push for concrete action from FIFA itself, calling on the governing body to invest in women’s football at the grassroots level. She also thanked her teammates, notably saying, “We can’t do this alone.” The Ballon d’Or ceremony, where she finished third, was less politically charged but still saw her wearing a statement tuxedo and using red-carpet interviews to reiterate her calls for systemic change.

The Impact: Shifting the Conversation on Athlete Activism

Rapinoe’s role in the 2019 award ceremonies had ripple effects that extended far beyond one season. She helped normalize the idea that athletes can be political without sacrificing their careers. Historically, athletes like Muhammad Ali, Tommie Smith, and Billie Jean King faced severe backlash and even bans for speaking out. By 2019, the landscape had shifted, and Rapinoe was at the center of that evolution.

Inspiring a New Generation

Young athletes, particularly girls and LGBTQ+ youth, saw Rapinoe as a role model who refused to apologize for who she was. Her unapologetic nature — whether wearing her hair in a distinct pink hue or kissing her girlfriend on camera after a goal — sent a powerful message of authenticity. Surveys and anecdotal evidence from soccer camps and high school sports programs showed that more young players began speaking up about issues they cared about, citing Rapinoe as an influence. She made activism feel accessible, not performative.

Corporate and Institutional Responses

The visibility of Rapinoe’s speeches also pressured companies and sports organizations to take stands. In the months following the ESPYs, several sponsors of the USWNT publicly reiterated their support for equal pay. More broadly, brands began to reconsider their reluctance to engage with “political” athletes. Rapinoe’s example showed that taking a stand could actually strengthen brand loyalty among younger, more progressive demographics. On the institutional side, her constant calls for accountability put a spotlight on U.S. Soccer’s ongoing negotiations with the players’ union, contributing to the eventual settlement of the equal pay lawsuit in 2022.

Public Discourse and Backlash

Not everyone applauded Rapinoe. She faced a torrent of online abuse, including racist, sexist, and homophobic slurs. Conservative pundits accused her of disrespecting the flag and dividing the country. Yet Rapinoe rarely engaged directly with her detractors. Instead, she used the attention to double down on her message. The backlash itself became part of the story, illustrating the tension between those who see sports as an escape from politics and those who see it as an inseparable part of society. Her ability to remain composed under fire made her even more effective as a communicator.

Legacy: How 2019 Changed the Playbook for Athlete Activists

Looking back, 2019 was a tipping point for athlete activism in America, and Megan Rapinoe was its most visible standard-bearer. The award ceremonies that year were not merely celebrations of athletic achievement; they were platforms for a broader dialogue about equality, justice, and the role of public figures in shaping society.

Bridging Sports and Social Movements

Rapinoe’s approach demonstrated that trophy speeches could be a form of protest. By weaving together celebration and advocacy, she avoided the trap of being seen as solely angry or solely grateful. She showed that joy and resistance can coexist. Her speeches often began with gratitude for her teammates and ended with a call to action — a formula that made her messages palatable to general audiences while still carrying bite.

A Model for Future Athletes

Since 2019, more athletes across sports have followed her lead. NBA players like LeBron James and WNBA stars like Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart have become more vocal. The trend is particularly strong among women’s soccer players, many of whom credit Rapinoe for paving the way. Rookies entering the NWSL often cite her as an inspiration for their own off-field work. The 2019 award ceremonies established a template: use the microphone, name the problem, and refuse to back down.

Continued Influence Beyond 2019

Rapinoe did not stop at 2019. She continued to speak out at the 2020 ESPYs (held virtually during the pandemic) and beyond. In 2023, she announced her retirement, but her legacy is already cemented. The 2019 award season remains the defining chapter of her career off the pitch — a time when she proved that a soccer player from a small town could stand on a global stage and demand accountability from the most powerful institutions in sports.

Moreover, her impact is measurable. The USWNT’s equal pay settlement was not solely her doing, but her relentless public advocacy at ceremonies like the ESPYs kept the issue in the headlines. She turned a legal case into a cultural movement, making it impossible for fans and executives alike to ignore the question: Why aren’t women paid the same as men?

What Made Rapinoe’s Approach Unique

Several factors distinguished Rapinoe’s activism from previous generations of athlete activists. First, she operated in the age of social media, where every speech is instantly clipped, analyzed, and memed. She used that to her advantage, crafting remarks that were soundbite-ready but substantive. Second, she had the backing of a highly unified team. The USWNT operated as a collective, supporting each other’s activism in ways that individual sports stars often cannot. Third, Rapinoe’s identity as an openly gay woman added a layer of personal stakes to her advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights. She was not speaking on behalf of an abstract group; she was speaking about her own life and the lives of her teammates and fans.

Her willingness to be vulnerable also set her apart. In speeches, she often acknowledged her own privilege as a white athlete, urging her audience to use their platforms to lift others. This humility, coupled with fierce determination, created a persona that was both approachable and formidable. She could joke with reporters one moment and deliver a stern rebuke to FIFA the next.

Conclusion: More Than a Moment

The 2019 ESPYs and surrounding award ceremonies were not a one-off for Megan Rapinoe. They represented the culmination of years of activism, the payoff of a World Cup victory, and the beginning of a new chapter in athlete advocacy. Her role that year demonstrated that award stages could serve as instruments of change, not just self-congratulation. By speaking truth to power while holding a trophy, Rapinoe offered a masterclass in leverage: using the very symbols of success to challenge the system that bestowed them.

For fans, journalists, and aspiring activists, the lesson is clear. Athletes have always had influence. But Rapinoe showed how to wield it strategically — with heart, with courage, and with an unshakeable commitment to justice. The 2019 ESPYs will be remembered not for the dinner menu or the red carpet photos, but for the moment Megan Rapinoe stepped to the microphone and proved that the athlete’s voice is one of the most powerful tools for change in modern society.

Her legacy continues to inspire a wave of athletes who refuse to stay silent. And for that, the 2019 award ceremonies were not just significant; they were historic.