Sydney Leroux is a force on the field. The U.S. Women's National Soccer Team star has a FIFA World Cup title and an Olympic gold medal. At 25, she already has 35 goals in 75 international caps.
Off the field, she is a force with her words.
"I really enjoy writing," Leroux told ThePostGame. "I love to write deeper things. People probably don't see that coming from me, but I really like being able to write just about life, and what you’re going through at the moment and just getting your words out."
Many times, Leroux uses her body to display her writing. Her tattoos are a way of expressing messages of motivation and reminders of life experiences.
“I think every single one of them has a personal meaning," Leroux said. "Some are a little closer to my heart.
“I have 'live unapologetically' and 'live beautifully.' It kind of reminds me every single time I look down at my arm to just kind of be true to myself and live with no regrets."
Leroux also has the word "love" written on her right hand, a tattoo she describes as her Olympic tattoo, recalling the moment standing on the podium with her team and placing her right hand over her heart.
Leroux has established herself as one of the best athletes in the world. She is one of six USWNT players to ever score five goals in one international game. Her 16 National Women's Soccer League regular season goals rank third in the three-season league, and ankle surgery restricted Leroux to just three league games in 2015.
Her value was shown this March when she was traded from Seattle Reign FC to the Western New York Flash in a deal that sent USWNT legend Abby Wambach the other way.
The self-proclaimed "happy-go-lucky free spirit," said her most-prized accolade did not come on the pitch though, but in the classroom: Her graduation from UCLA.
“That is one that I kind of look past and then I come back to it and remember that I did that," she said. "I am really proud of myself when it comes to that."
After a successful 2015 soccer season with the USWNT, Leroux has missed significant time recovering from surgery. Although she is not on the field, her mind is on the future.
"I am looking forward to getting back out there with my team and battling for a spot to go to the Olympics and go to Rio," she says of 2016. "That is the first thing on my mind."
During this time off, Leroux is working with Nesquik to host clinics for young soccer players. The clinics educate youths and their parents about fueling properly for physical recovery. Last week, Leroux teamed with former USMNT star and current Fox Sports analyst Alexi Lalas.
After winning the World Cup, the USWNT holds both the World Cup and Olympic titles for the first time since 2000. The U.S. is a three-time defending gold medalist in the Olympic Games.