Megan Rapinoe, the Olympic and World Cup champion soccer player who came out publicly several years ago, has inked a partnership with Bodyarmor sports drink.
The deal makes Rapinoe one of the faces of the fast-growing sports drink.
It’s another great move that undercuts the notion that out LGBTQ athletes can’t get endorsement deals. She said she doesn’t know if being out as an athlete has helped or hurt her with endorsement deals, but she wouldn’t trade it in for anything.
“One of the things I love about being out is that the conversation is always there,” Rapinoe told Outsports. “It’s always part of who I am. So if someone works with me it says something about the kind of company they are.”
Rapinoe isn’t just one of the world’s greatest soccer players, and she isn’t just an LGBTQ trailblazer, she has a personality to match. Usually wearing a smile and often with a fun quip, Rapinoe wins people over with both her athleticism and persona.
“I think any time people are undeniably themselves, so authentic and living with that joy, I think that’s just attractive in general,” she said. “I think when people are able to be themselves and express themselves, I think that’s just attractive, which is why we need to allow people to do that.”
When she got the call to help promote the Bodyarmor sports drink, she felt the partnership made a world of sense.
“Especially with my sport, it’s in the summer so hydration is a huge thing,” she said. “We can play in Houston or Orlando, so making sure I’m fueling my body the way I need to is important.”
Rapinoe currently plays for the Seattle Reign FC.
While hydration is key for the soccer superstar, she said she still drinks coffee most mornings and dabbles with a glass of wine a couple times a week. Yet as she approaches her mid-30s, she’s gotten ever more focused on hydration.
“It kind of hit home with this partnership,” she said. “I would actually drink this stuff. It’s made with coconut water, and it’s high in potassium, low in sodium. So I was really excited when this came to me. At this point in my career I am getting older. I need to do everything I can, every little thing, to make sure I can stay healthy.”
Rapinoe said she was already making some changes to her diet when the company approached her.
“I kind of switched up my diet a little bit and kind of focused more in the weight room. Before, it’s not like I was eating crazy. I think I was eating healthy-ish, but not the right things at the right times and not specifically eating to fuel what I need to do on the field.”
Here’s hoping we get to watch Rapinoe score some goals for years to come.
For more Seattle Reign FC news and notes, visit Sounder At Heart.
