Abby Wambach’s first instinct after winning the FIFA Women’s World Cup on July 5 was to kiss her wife, Sarah Huffman — and she’s proud of it! While chatting with Us Weekly at the Gatorade Athlete of the Year Awards in Los Angeles on Tuesday, July 14, the two-time Olympic gold medalist revealed she’s proud that her now-viral kiss may inspire confidence in others, especially at a time when the world is embracing change.
“When I won a world championship, the first person that I wanted to go to was my partner — as would any person on the planet…And, of course, I’m not premeditating, planning this kiss — it’s definitely not something that I ever considered before it happened,” the U.S. team player recalled to Us. “It was just in the moment and that’s something that I’m proud of — that we could maybe move the needle into [a] more open-minded and accepting frame of mind… Hopefully, if that can help one person feel more confident about their life, then I’m proud.”
The lesbian athlete, who married her partner in 2013 in Hawaii, is equally as proud to be an American, given the Supreme Court’s recent decision to legalize same-sex marriage across all 50 states. “There’s so many people, so many dollars that have been spent for this decision to be turned in our favor, and those are the things that, over time, the more research that I can get done about who to thank, I want to properly reach out to those people to thank for giving me the opportunity…for having a life like any heterosexual person in the United States.”
“I am on cloud nine,” Wambach perfectly concluded. “I honestly don’t know when I will come off of it.”
The 2012 FIFA World Player of the Year is due at the ESPYS in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 15, to present transgender star Caitlyn Jenner with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award — another moment in history she’s looking forward to being a part of.
”Honestly I’m most excited about hearing Caitlyn Jenner speak,” the 35-year-old pro, whose team is up for an award, told Us. “Because being an advocate for people expressing themselves in whatever way they need to, it’s going to be, I think, a thrilling moment not only for her, but for all transgender people. And not just in our country, but around the world. And I know that she is positively affecting the transgender community and to be a part of it, to see a small glimpse of it, is going to be really awesome.”
