Immediately following the Gold medal presentation, Michelle rushed from the platform to the
training room to load up on intravenous fluids for re-hydration. Even after this, she was too sick to
celebrate with her teammates. Some doctors advised retirement because of the Chronic Fatigue and
Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) which had plagued her since 1991. The steadiness of the
Olympic podium was a sharp contrast to the roller coaster ride that had brought the all-time US
leading goal scorer to the position of Gold Medallist.
Michelle grew up independent and self-sufficient, but at the same time was quietly burying a lot of
anger. Despite doing well in sports and academics, her sophomore year in high school was a major
dip in her life. Her grades dropped and soccer, the game she had come to love, was suffering
because her parents kept grounding her for misbehaving. Her relationships with her father and
brother were a mess.
Mr Kovats, an English teacher and the boy's soccer coach, was the one person she felt she could
talk to. One afternoon after practice everything came crashing in on her. Mr Kovats listened to her
fear, anger and desperation, and told her plainly of the need for a relationship with Jesus,
suggesting she make the Christian faith her own. Michelle did, and even as she returned to the
anxieties of her home she sensed a turning point in her life.
Being an All-American for four years at Shorecrest High School and a member of a nationally
ranked club team, Michelle had a choice of colleges. She decided on the University of Central
Florida, garnering All-American Honours all four years there as well. In 1985 she was named
ESPN Athlete of the Year and was selected for the first US National Women's Team, which she
describes as `a bunch of college girls, dressed in second hand uniforms and purple sweats. No red,
white and blue.' But it would come.
Wanting to experience college to the fullest, a 'first-love' relationship shifted her interest in study
and soccer to an active social life that almost cost her scholarship. The self-avowed tomboy had
fallen hard, and when the boy broke it off Michelle coped by drinking, missing class, gaining
weight, and crying at practice. By the end of her second year, a review of her personal priorities
and future direction started to bear fruit. Akers was able to graduate in 1989, marrying the
following year.
The style of play in college, and fierce international competition, brought Michelle a battle with a
seemingly never-ending succession of injuries. `Some seasons, I knew the trainers better than my
teammates,' she quips. The health she enjoyed while preparing for the historic World Cup in China
would prove temporary.
Standing on the podium at the 1996 Olympics was an incredible experience, but the game to
remember was played in China in 1991. Decked out in red, white and blue, the US Women's
National Team was in the finals against Norway. Michelle Akers was to be a key factor. The first
goal came from Michelle's header off Shannon Higgins' free kick outside the goalbox, at the
twentieth minute mark. Eight minutes later, the Norwegians scored in much the same way. At halftime,
coach Tony DiCicco challenged Michelle to take control of the game. `I went out and played
as hard as I could. I never doubted we were going to win - never doubted,' she says.
When a Norwegian defender miskicked a long ball sent forward by Higgins, Michelle took control.
The goalkeeper was out of the net, Michelle beat her and remembers taking her time to get the shot
off at a bad angle. Planting her left leg, she passed the ball through the open goal with her right
foot. Fifteen minutes later, the US team claimed the title of Women's World Cup Champions.
Michelle was awarded the Golden Boot Award for top scoring, with ten goals in six games.
Many Americans didn't realise there was a Women's World Cup, let alone that the US had won it,
so Michelle soon assumed the role of spokesperson for the game. As usual, Michelle was
determined to tackle this new persona of leader for women's soccer, yet something was not right.
After some tests, Akers was diagnosed with CFIDS.
Not capable of facing the fact that her determination and hard work were not making her health any
better, and crushed by an impending divorce, Michelle took refuge at her family's cabin near Seattle
in 1994. `I always go to Seattle to get my head together,' she explains.
Despite a wide range of personal issues to be addressed, the area of her life that received the most
attention during those solitary days was her relationship with God. Michelle began to realise that
attending church on holidays was a far cry from a daily experience of God and, with little energy
left, told God: `You can have this stuff. You can have this body. You can have my life. You can
have me. Because I've made a mess of everything.' She knew that all she had relied on in the past
was useless in the face of her illness.
A phone call to Mr Kovats, some Christian tapes from a friend, and later attending church with her
grandparents set Michelle on the path to putting the pieces of her life back together. Some of the
peace she had felt in high school began to return, though she feared being seen as some sort of
spiritual nut if she followed through with letting God control her life. For a time, the roller coaster
ride continued, her health grew worse, but her heart and spirit were renewed.
Things continued to go downhill as the US team defended their title in the 1995 World Cup. Family
members and friends traveled to Sweden to watch Michelle play, but instead saw her knocked
unconscious in the first few minutes of the tournament. In the game against China, Akers went up
to head the ball and collided with an opponent's head, twisting her knee as she landed unconscious
on the ground.
Her dad thought it would be too much after the CFIDS, divorce and four years of wasted training
with this, her umpteenth injury. For Michelle, it was an opportunity to rest her body and renew her
spiritual life no matter what the circumstances, through tears of disappointment at her injury and
the subsequent US third place finish.
Ignoring her illness for years had only made it worse. While growing her spiritual self, she began to
read about the disease that had laid her flat. She learned how the disease affected her not only
physically, but also psychologically. She determined that she would never get over it physically,
but through a change of diet began to have more energy. She learned of a related blood pressure
disorder called Neurally Mediated Hypotension, common to CFIDS sufferers, and was diagnosed
as symptomatic to NMH.
Equipped with a different approach to life Akers went to the 1996 Olympics in search of gold. 'I
went to the Olympics thinking I've been through this stuff before. It's not going to be much
different from the other world championships I have played in. But that thought was completely
blown away. It was so different.'
'I didn't realise the magnitude or the depth of passion the public had for the Olympic Games. We
had missed that before in the two World Cups because we were playing overseas, and the World
Cup is solely soccer. But at the Olympics there was an incredible number of people involved in the
Games, and the awareness people had for the Games was great.'
'The World Cup wasn't promoted, so no one knew what was going on unless you were hardcore
fans. But not with the Olympics. The emotion and awareness of the Olympics kind of overwhelmed
me.'
The Americans made it through to the final against China after a sudden death extra time victory
over Norway. 'The gold medal game was a complete haze,' Akers says. 'That was not a fun game
for me. We played China who are extremely fit, very talented, very skillful. They hold the ball a
lot. So when you play China you basically run and run and run. Twenty minutes into the game I
was ready to come off. I didn't think I was going to be able to make it. At half time I thought I was
done for sure. I thought, "I'll keep going until I drop", and I never dropped.'
On the day following the US' two-one victory, Akers wrote in her journal: `My thoughts are
scattered and disjointed, but the sentiment and unforgettable memories will forever be embedded in
my heart. My mind keeps returning to the past few years when I thought I was so alone, so isolated
in my struggles and pain. God is so good. Through it all, he was preparing me for this moment, this
experience. He took it all away, but he gave me back so much more.'
In 1995, soccer was the number one thing in Michelle's life; now it is her faith in Christ. `Soccer
has become a platform for me to talk about my Christianity, what Christ means to me and what he
can do for others. I have an opportunity to impact someone every time I step on the field,' she says.
Weekly, even daily, Michelle sees God is working with her in building her up, even while he also
brought her to the end of herself. ‘I have achieved a lot of awards and world titles. God allowed me
to experience all these not only to provide me with a platform for him, but also to show me
firsthand that being the best in the world in my chosen sport isn't all it is cracked up to be. It doesn't
fill me up or love me back. Trophies are literally empty vessels and for me to pour my life into
them and seek my personal worth from them is ultimately empty, superficial, even tragic after a
while. God brought me to the end of myself even though I had achieved almost everything I
desired, career-wise. It just didn't prove satisfying.’
‘Another way he brings me to the end of myself is through CFIDS. All my life, I have sought to be
a great athlete and, in one respect, have achieved what I set out to do. I have worked hard and, for
the most part, life has been pretty easy for me. When I first got sick, I planned to beat it. Then after
three years, I had run out of resources and had to admit I was fragile and vulnerable. Now, I face
limitations daily and am forced to reckon with a body that can't keep going when I tell it to, a heart
that gets tired of pushing past the sickness, and a mind that can't find the answers to the pain.’
‘Fortunately, he doesn't leave me like that - at the end of myself. I have learned that, when I am
finally broken, God is the one who restores and builds me back up. I have learnt to rely on him for
my daily sustenance, wisdom and strength. He is there to pull me up and to fill the hole he has
blown wide open in my heart. It hurts most times, but it is worth it. I am striving to not be so hard
headed, so someday he can just whisper to me and I will hear him and quickly slip back into his
stride. I live in this place where I seem to be constantly getting pushed around and knocked down,
yet the personal growth I have experienced makes all the discomfort and pain worthwhile.’
Michelle's success on the field continues, winning the 1998 Goodwill Games gold medal and being
named to the FIFA Order of Merit that year as well. On January 30, 1999 Akers also entered the
history books by becoming only the fourth person to score 100 goals in international competition,
when she hit one into the back of the net in the fortieth minute against Portugal.
At the 1999 Women's World Cup, some things changed and others stayed just the same. Held in the
United States, this time the whole country knew of their team and came out in support. In the final
against rivals China, 90,185 people watched the game continue through overtime into penalty kicks
at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Among the crowd was President Bill Clinton, who told the team
after the game, 'It was the most exciting sports event I have ever seen, I cannot thank you enough
for the gift you have given the United States.'
Like many times in her career, Michelle cannot remember the ending of the game because she had
been taken off at full-time after sustaining concussion. If she watches a replay, Akers will see each
team take their five kicks, with the US goalkeeper, Briana Scurry, stopping China's third attempt.
After 120 minutes, the United States won the World Cup by five goals to four.
Despite her absence at the moment of triumph, Akers' contribution to the win and the team is
widely recognised. 'The fans were treated today to witnessing one of the greatest women athletes in
history,' said head coach Tony DiCicco at the postgame press conference. 'She's a true champion
who let it all out on the field. Michelle Akers inspires me, and I know she does the same for
everyone else on the USA team.'
'Michelle was the anchor for our team today, as well as the whole tournament,' adds assistant coach
Lauren Gregg, 'She's the heartbeat of the team. She's why we are where we are today.'
This game epitomises Akers' life, filled with difficulty but ultimately leading to triumph. Through
these struggles and successes she has found a sure footing even more firm than an Olympic
podium. Through her faith, she has found a sure foundation in an volatile world.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
