It’s safe to say Kelley O’Hara is enjoying retirement.
Check her social media and you’ll see that the two-time World Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist has been traveling. She’s been hitting the slopes, jetting to Miami for Unrivaled’s opening day, and even got a chance to celebrate former USWNT teammate Heather O’Reilly’s 40th birthday in Los Angeles.
And for the first time, there wasn’t a voice in the back of her mind telling her she needed to get back to work. “The holiday season has never been relaxing for me,” she tells Just Women’s Sports. “I think people really don’t realize the extent to which you have to prepare for preseason, and how little of a break we get as footballers.”
That’s not to say that she didn’t love playing soccer. O’Hara cherished every moment of her final season on the pitch with 2023 NWSL champs Gotham FC — one that was unfortunately shortened due to injury. But she’s also very happy with the life she’s created on the other side.
“Obviously, [playing] comes with its pitfalls or obstacles or annoyances, but I really loved it,” she says. “So I’m surprised with how much I’m not missing it.”
