Founder
Mia Hamm is arguably one of the world’s greatest athletes of all time, tallying 2 Olympic gold medals, 1 Olympic silver medal, 2 FIFA World Cups and 4 NCAA National Championships. But since her brother Garrett died in 1997 from complications related to a rare blood disorder, she has found another way to play offense.
Out of her cleats since 2004, Mia now devotes her time to the Mia Hamm Foundation, a nonprofit that she created in 1999. The organization raises funds and awareness for families needing marrow or cord blood transplants and develops and promotes programs for young women in sports. The foundation hosts all-star exhibition soccer matches, and during halftime, marrow recipients are brought together with their donors for the first time. These emotional encounters, Mia says, are her most cherished moments away from the field.
In 2023, Mia was the recipient of the Athletes for Hope inaugural Mia Hamm Founders Award.