Mia Hamm was born in Selma, Alabamba on March 17, 1972. She was born with a partial clubfoot and wore casts on her feet when she was a baby to help correct them. When the casts came off, Mia's feet were ready to take on the world. Her dad was in the Air Force so Hamm grew up as a military brat, living on various bases throughout the world. While the Hamm family was in Italy, Mia learned to play soccer. When the family moved to Texas, Mia Hamm joined her first soccer team at age five. By the time she was 14, she was dominating girls' soccer in Texas and was already being scouted by the US women's national soccer team. 

In 1987, when she was just 15, Mia Hamm became the youngest ever member of the US national team. At the age of 17, she scored her first ever goal for the United States in a game against Canada. After high school, she went to play soccer at the University of North Carolina, where she led the Tar Heels to four straight national titles and finished as the team's all-time leading scorer. In 1991, Mia Hamm helped the United States win the first ever Women's World Cup of Soccer. 

Mia Hamm has scored 149 goals in international soccer - more than any other player - and is still considered the greatest female soccer player in the world. She's also helped the United States win two World Cups and an Olympic gold medal. But Mia Hamm has done more than just score goals and win world titles, she's also helped raise the popularity of women's soccer and inspired thousands of kids to play the game. The 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece will be her last international tournament, before she retires. 

Credit: netglimse.com