Soccer players tend to have that one specific moment they remember as the kickstart of their career.
For U.S. women's national team defender Becky Sauerbrunn, that such moment came 12 years ago.
During the 2012 Olympics in London, Sauerbrunn was about 27 years old but didn't yet have many major honors to her name.
The key trophy up to that point was winning the Concacaf Women's Championship in 2010. However, everything changed two years later when the U.S. beat Japan 2-1 in the Olympic gold medal match in London.
"Winning gold in 2012, for me, I never really knew if I was a winner or not," Sauerbrunn said in an interview with NBCUniversal Local. "I knew that I was a decent soccer player, but I didn't know if I had it in me to help a team win something."
Sauerbunn, who has donned the team's captain's armband in recent years as a vital member to the program, said the experience in London helped her become the person she is today, from ball-playing abilities to vocal attributes.
"2012 felt like I was finding myself," Sauerbrunn said. "I was a sponge trying to capture everybody's advice and to figure out the player that I wanted to be, the person I wanted to be. It's still an ongoing process, but I would say now I'm way more comfortable with myself, way more comfortable in the player I am and the leadership style that I have.
"Winning in 2012 and being a part of that team for a decent part of that cycle, that was the realization that I could do this. It was just a huge confidence booster."
Turning 39 on June 6, Sauerbrunn has added countless accomplishments to her resume since 2012. Those include two Women's World Cups, a Concacaf W Gold Cup, three more Concacaf Women's Championships since her first in 2010, five SheBelieves Cups, two NWSL championships and four NWSL Defender of the Year honors, among others.
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Though it's not yet known if Sauerbrunn will be on the Paris Olympics roster with new head coach Emma Hayes on board, her experience could definitely be vital as the team seeks to capture its first gold since the triumph in London.
The 2024 Olympic soccer tournament begins before the Opening Ceremony in Paris on July 24. For the first time in Olympic history, the women’s final concludes the tournament on Aug. 10.
Venues for soccer at the 2024 Olympics include Paris, Nantes, Bordeaux, Marseille, Nice, Saint-Étienne and Lyon.
