Sydney Leroux's life is so, so much different. This time last year, she was best known for justly complaining about FIFA's women's World Cup turf decision. Fast forward to present day, and she's now married to an MLS star, has a World Cup winner's medal in her back pocket and has successfully fought back against racist abuse in soccer.
Riding high off of the World Cup title, the 25-year-old Canadian-American forward is leveraging her on-field accomplishments with her own self-expression to become one of the United States' most visible black female athletes. But she's also biracial -- as the daughter of former Major Leaguer Ray Chadwick and Canadian softball player Sandi Leroux, she's trying to become the athletic role model for black and biracial girls that she never had growing up.
Speaking to The Huffington Post over the phone on Thursday, Leroux dished on what the team's World Cup triumph means for the movement for equality women's sports, why she wears makeup on the pitch and what happened when a U.S. women's soccer team stalker ended up on their hotel floor.
What was the first thing you did after winning the World Cup?
I ran to my husband and my mom and was giving them the biggest hugs and kisses. We were crying and it was a pretty amazing moment. I definitely spent that time at first with my teammates, because we all ran onto the field, and then we got time to find our families in the crowd. That was an emotional moment.
You obviously didn’t have a chance to do your regular cool-off routine after winning the World Cup. How do you normally wind-down after a match?
After a match it’s super important to restore your body. For me, I like something that tastes good, so Nesquik has always been a thing I use to restore my body.
Is that something that goes back to your childhood and seeing soccer moms hand out orange slices and chocolate milk cartons?
Exactly! It’s always been a known thing with chocolate milk. Back then, my mom would have to make it in the powder, but now they have the bottles, so it’s easy for moms to bring them for the kids after the game.
Is there any work-life balance in the life of a pro athlete? How does your husband, MLS star Dom Dwyer, and his career factor into things?
We both really try and push each other. I think I’m a lot harder on him than he is on me, but he can probably take it a little better. We try and spend as much time together as possible, but our time is fleeting. Me having this injury allowed us to spend some time at home together. He’s really helped me get back in shape and back into form after my surgery. Work and life is one in the same, especially when your husband does the same thing you do.
That being said, are there any activities you both bond over in your free time?
We just got a puppy! We’ve been putting most of our time into training her. We don’t want her to turn out like our other dog, Boss, a chihuahua who’s not very friendly.